Turei Metiria: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Turei Metiria: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:633;Page:4690] 
3.  
METIRIA TUREI (Green) 
 to the  
Minister of Fisheries 
: Is he satisfied that sufficient progress is being made to decrease non-fish by-catch in New Zealand waters? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON (Minister of Fisheries) 
: 
 Yes. A number of management measures are in place to avoid remedy and mitigate the incidental catch of non-fish species by fishers. The ministry and fishers continue to investigate new methods and approaches to improve performance. 
Metiria Turei 
: Why then do his own ministry figures show that over the past three seasons non-fish by-catch such as seabirds sea lions and seals—like the one in the photo I am holding here—has not declined in New Zealand’s biggest squid fishery the Auckland Islands? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: Sometimes industry initiatives and partnerships with Government make the glass half full rather than half empty. There is always concern about non-fish by-catch. If the member is interested I can tell her that partnerships between industry and Government are fostering exchanges of crews and technologies between fleets in different countries; hosting national and regional fisher forums to enable fishermen from different fleets to exchange ideas and information; employing advisory officers in a number of countries including South Africa and countries in South America to work alongside skippers and crew; and so on. There is always concern about non-fish by-catch but in fact lots of initiatives are being taken and sometimes industry deserves thanks for and congratulations on that rather than brickbats. 
Metiria Turei 
: Why then given the Minister’s concern about non-fish by-catch and the interest of the industry in preventing non-fish by-catch has no limit been placed on fishing-related deaths of seabirds such as has been imposed on sea lions—I have a photo of a sea lion here—even though some seabirds in this country are much more at risk of extinction than the very rare Hooker’s sea lion is? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: There is a national plan of action on seabirds which was approved by the Government in 2004. Implementation of the plan has resulted in codes of practice in the following fisheries: ling longline joint venture tuna and squid. Recently I have implemented further regulatory mitigation measures for all vessels over 28 metres. As a result of those measures there have been significant reductions in seabird mortalities. 
Metiria Turei 
: Why has the ministry failed to meet every one of the deadlines in the national plan of action on seabirds that the Minister has just mentioned—seabirds like the albatross in the photo I have here that was mangled in the process of fishing—and why 1 year on have industry plans for decreasing seabird deaths still not been implemented? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: I remind the member that no responsible fisher—either company corporation or individual—intends catching non-fish by-catch in the fisheries areas. Very significant measures are being taken by all fishers that I am aware of to mitigate these unfortunate events. But with the best will in the world nothing is perfect. Goals are there to be achieved but from time to time targets are missed. I am convinced and I have plenty of evidence to suggest that very supportive and significant efforts are being made by the fishing industry to mitigate this non-fish by-catch. 
Metiria Turei 
: I seek the leave of the House to table a number of documents the first being the  
National Plan of Action to Reduce the Incidental Catch of Seabirds in New Zealand Fisheries 
 which was referred to in the questions and answers. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Metiria Turei 
: I seek leave to table two photographs of dead albatross found by observers on squid fishery boats in the Auckland Islands. 
Documents by leave laid on the Table of the House.