Trask LauraLAURA TRASK (ACT): Thank you. So firstly I am very honoured to be speaking on this. I think in the 53rd Parliament ACT did actually not have a member of the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee so we were not part of this process. I want to thank the former members of the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee for the work that they have done and also the continued work of this Government in this area.Illegal fishing causes major disruption to the food chain and the ocean leading to a lack of food for dolphins whales seals and our other marine species. Legal and responsible fishing practices are conducted for a reason: to ensure plentiful and reliable food supply for both us and for ocean species. Fisheries contribute approximately $1 billion annually to the economies of Pacific countries and generate about 25000 jobs. Fisheries' revenue is particularly important to the economies of many Pacific countries. There have been calls from these countries to investigate the illegal unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) from the Pacific Islands. So within the report I note there were three select committee recommendations that I'd like to touch base on today. Those were: We recommend that New Zealand have vessels and equipment that are fit for purpose for maritime surveillance"; "We recommend that funding be found to ensure the continuation of the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and other relevant agencies involvement in regional monitoring control and surveillance operations and to assist the Pacific nations to expand their capabilities".As a Pacific nation and one of the very few nations geographically close to the Southern Ocean specifically we have a responsibility to ensure that we have technology and appropriate vessels and equipment to be fit for purpose to conduct maritime surveillance in order to act as a deterrent to these illegal fishing vessels. It is also important for regional security that we have a presence in the Pacific and the Southern Oceans. The New Zealand Defence Force conducts patrols in cooperation with the Pacific Nations' National Maritime Co-ordination Centre MPI Pacific Nations' Island Forum for Fisheries Agency and other agencies as part of New Zealand's efforts to detect and deter illegal fishing and sustain fisheries for our future generations.New Zealand has not been able to carry out naval patrols near the ice in the Southern Ocean since 2017. The New Zealand Defence Force does not currently have a vessel which is suitable to operate in or near ice. We believe ensuring New Zealand has appropriate vessels and equipment that are fit for maritime surveillance is essential in New Zealand's response to illegal fishing. Monitoring must be sustained to deter not just the one-offs. Data collection must be improved because it is true that we don't actually know the scale of this issue. We must also assist other Pacific nations to expand their capability so that they themselves can help with monitoring of the legal fishing as it is not a job that can be done alone. We can do this by conducting joint exercises and training with the agencies of our Pacific island neighbours.We have the opportunity to embrace new and effective technology in order to regularly and reliably monitor illegal fishing acts such as drones which can be used to survey far larger areas with significantly more speed in order to detect illegal fishing vessels that may be missed by boat or sea patrolling. As a cooperative and active member of the Pacific community New Zealand must stand up for our respect for the rule of law and that our vessels must be fit for purpose in order to ensure that the crime of illegal fishing is less easily committed on our doorstep. Thank you."