SpeechOceans and FisheriesCHAIRPERSON (Hon Jacqui Dean): Members time with the Minister of Police has ended. Thank you to the Minister. The Minister for Oceans and Fisheries is now available for 30 minutes to respond to members' questions. I'll wait for just a moment until we have the Minister in the chair and I will take the first call.ANGELA ROBERTS (Deputy Chairperson of the Primary Production Committee): Thank you Madam Chair. I rise as deputy chair of the Primary Production Committee to lead the debate on the Appropriation bill for fisheries. I just want to acknowledge the two previous fisheries Ministers who cover this period the Hon David Parker and the Hon Stuart Nash who came and spoke to the select committee about the review. And of course congratulations to and I wish to acknowledge our new Minister for Oceans and Fisheries the Hon Rachel Brooking. It feels good to see you there.Fisheries is of course covered by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and their mahi is a true reflection—it's reflected in its complexity of demands and opportunities in the sector. During the review we heard how MPI have worked to ensure our fisheries are managed well and that we have sustainable and healthy fish stocks aquaculture and a wider marine environment. Fisheries is an incredibly diverse and complex sector concerned with the sustainability and the development of our commercial fisheries including aquaculture and of course our recreational fisheries. Our fisheries our oceans are such a vital part of our identity as individuals as whānau and as a nation.It is not just about culture; it is about economics. Seafood exports we were told were up 8 percent in 2021-22 to a total of $1.9 billion almost back to the pre-COVID levels. A significant focus for fisheries has been over the last year the development in aquaculture. They have released the Accelerate the Aquaculture Strategy: Investment Roadmap and this strategy has been led by MPI and is ambitious and aims to grow the industry to $3 billion per annum by 2035—five times its current value. In order to make that real what they have done is have significant collaboration such as with councils around the development of open-ocean aquaculture guidelines and with iwi to improve settlement allocation mechanisms and they've also investigated the carbon footprint of shellfish. This is part of their exploration of how we lean into the way that we futureproof this massive global industry.They told us about the Provincial Growth Fund and other funds that have enabled a number of projects aimed at building our aquaculture industry and making sure that it is world leading. Shellfish: we heard about the potential because New Zealand farmed shellfish have a lower carbon footprint than any other globally produced animal protein. So there is some significant potential there and MPI is really ambitious about supporting our aquaculture industry at staying at the forefront of it.There are challenges of course with regards to conservation restoration and sustainability. They are real and complex and constantly changing. We heard about the projects including work to protect Hector's dolphins the Hauraki Gulf and the work internationally around fisheries and exploitation and of course our beloved scallops.Another really important aspect of making sure that we have sustainable fisheries is the significant work that has gone into monitoring and I guess one of the most obvious projects that they've been involved in is the process of financially supporting the roll-out of the on-board cameras that were enabled by the Fisheries Amendment Act 2022. Approximately 300 boats are in the process of receiving cameras which will mean that we can monitor about 85 percent of the total catch. That monitoring isn't just about compliance; it is about ensuring that those who are doing the right thing are shown to be doing the right thing and to protect and enhance our international reputation economically as well as making sure we can do the best we can do to protect our fisheries for our future generations. Thank you Madam Chair.