3. Question No. 3—Oceans and FisheriesHon EUGENIE SAGE (Green) to the Acting Minister for Oceans and FisheriesQuestion No. 3—Oceans and Fisheries3. Hon EUGENIE SAGE (Green) to the Acting Minister for Oceans and Fisheries: Does he think that fisheries management is ensuring sustainable fisheries and healthy and abundant marine life in New Zealand waters; if not why not?Hon DAVID PARKER (Acting Minister for Oceans and Fisheries): Thank you Mr Speaker. Yes I am confident New Zealand's fisheries management supports the sustainable use of our fisheries resources and effectively manages the impacts of fishing. Our fish stocks are generally in good shape and we are progressing an extensive work programme to protect the health of our marine environment. However there is always room for improvement.Hon Eugenie Sage: Are single stock assessments fit for purpose when fish are part of an ecosystem and Aotearoa New Zealand has agreed to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework which calls for the reversal of biodiversity decline?Hon DAVID PARKER: Single species stock assessments aren't the be-all and end-all but they are an important part of the system because when—if you do one of those assessments—you find a stock is depleted you most certainly have to move to restore its abundance. None the less there are other more ecosystem-wide issues such as maintaining the likes of lobster or crayfish stocks to ensure that you don't have kina barrens which have become unfortunately common off the East Coast of the upper North Island.Hon Eugenie Sage: Is he concerned that the numbers of New Zealand sea lion—the world's rarest sea lion—are falling with trawl fishing for squid; if so does he agree that an ecosystem approach is needed for future decisions on squid catch in New Zealand waters?Hon DAVID PARKER: In respect of sea lion captures there have been improved technologies deployed in recent years which have enabled sea lion captures to be largely avoided through exit routes for sea lions that get caught in a trawl. That has significantly reduced the number of sea lions which have been caught as bycatch.Mark Cameron: Does he believe the Government's roll-out of cameras on fishing vessels which has imposed a $10 million cost on the fishing industry and a $68 million cost on taxpayers to install just 35 cameras since 2019 has been a success from the point of view of taxpayers?Hon DAVID PARKER: The initial cameras on boats that were rolled out were put in the area where there were most likely to be captures of Māui dolphins and that was appropriate. The Government has let a contract with amongst others Spark to roll out cameras on boats more widely. There have been some delays in the implementation of that but those issues are being worked through.Chlöe Swarbrick: What advice if any has he received about the continued decline in the health of Tīkapa Moana the Hauraki Gulf and its potential contribution to widespread starvation amongst snapper?Hon DAVID PARKER: In respect of the milky snapper issue that's currently in the media the fisheries division of the Ministry for Primary Industries are likely to conduct some research through the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research to try and establish what is the cause of that. In respect of the health of the Hauraki Gulf it is true that there has been a long-term decline in the health of the Hauraki Gulf which of course is situated next to New Zealand's largest city Auckland. The Sea Change or Hauraki Gulf plan is intended to remedy that.Hon Eugenie Sage: What role does he see for a precautionary approach in helping restore the health of the Hauraki Gulf Tīkapa Moana and its snapper populations and would such an approach involve phasing out bottom trawling and other bottom contact methods to protect the shellfish beds that are part of what snapper eat?Hon DAVID PARKER: The member will be aware that when she was the Minister of Conservation in the last Labour - Green - New Zealand First Government she approved of the Sea Change proposals which did have the continuation of trawl corridors in parts of the Hauraki Gulf. The consultation that is now taking place is not as to whether or not there should be trawl corridors—that was dealt with in the member's consultation—it's where they should be.Hon Eugenie Sage: Will he consider fast tracking work on proposed new marine protected areas in the Hauraki Gulf as a precautionary response to crayfish being functionally extinct scallop populations collapsing and widespread reports of snapper starving; and if so will he raise the level of marine protection to 30 percent of the marine park?Hon DAVID PARKER: In respect of the scallop point the member will be aware that I actually led the closure of those fisheries around New Zealand sadly because the scallop fishery has collapsed. In respect of crayfish issues off the East Coast of the North Island I've already referenced that. But no we don't have a plan to lift the marine protected areas to the percentage the member recommended in the Hauraki Gulf.