Fitzsimons Jeanette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Fitzsimons Jeanette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:619;Page:15241] 
10.  
JEANETTE FITZSIMONS (Co-Leader—Green) 
 to the  
Minister of Fisheries 
: Does he stand by his statement of 10 June that there was no doubt bottom trawling did “considerable damage” to the environment; if so will he support a short-term moratorium on bottom trawling in international waters to protect the unique biodiversity of seamounts and coral reefs? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE (Minister of Fisheries) 
: 
 As I said at the time there is no doubt that bottom trawling can cause considerable damage. I also said at the time that the extent of damage is a subject of considerable debate. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: Is the Minister concerned that New Zealand is one of just 11 nations bottom trawling on the high seas and that this technology is obliterating forever unique corals like this 1000-year-old gorgonian octacoral and hundreds of associated species that in future will be found only in Te Papa like this example? 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Where did that one come from? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: This is in the middle of a question. [ 
Interruption 
] The member has not been provoked at all. The member has stupidly interjected when he knows he should not during the asking of a question. He is very very lucky that I am generous towards him. Please conclude the question. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: I am not sure where I was. Can I start again? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Yes all right. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: Is the Minister concerned that New Zealand is one of just 11 nations bottom trawling on the high seas and that this technology is obliterating forever unique corals like this 1000-year-old gorgonian octacoral and hundreds of associated species that in future will be found only in Te Papa like this specimen? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: The extent of damage clearly depends on the technology being used where it is being used and whether that technology is being used correctly. The member will be pleased to hear that the New Zealand commercial fishing industry has undertaken to look at the technology used in trawling with the aim of identifying the most environmentally sound equipment and techniques available. 
Russell Fairbrother 
: What has the Minister done to manage the impacts of bottom trawling? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: In 2001 19 seamounts were closed to all forms of trawling. That covers an area greater than 100000 square kilometres. As the member will know New Zealand opposes any trawling in the Ross Sea toothfish fishery. New Zealand has strongly advocated biodiversity protection in the management of fisheries in the southern Indian Ocean. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: What point is there in having a moratorium on trawling in New Zealand’s most important fishery the hoki fishery in the West Coast and Cook Strait when all New Zealand vessels pulled out on 20 August this year but even this week there are Russian and Korean charter boats from United Fisheries and Donal-Boyle Fisheries of Tauranga blatantly ignoring that moratorium; if so what is that Minister going to do about it? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: I am aware of the issue to which the member refers and although it is not specifically related to the original question I can confirm that I am very mindful that over $800 million of the $1.2 billion earned from seafood exports in 2003 were from species caught by trawling methods of some kind. I can say that the Government response to the particular issue raised by the member will be apparent in the next quota-setting round. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: Does he agree with the internationally renowned fishery scientist Dr Daniel Pauly that bottom trawling is “the equivalent to using bulldozers to catch rabbits”; if so why will he not heed the call of more than 1100 marine scientists from 69 nations to pause this destruction while some international rules are developed? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: The Government is always open to ideas especially those put forward by respected visiting international scientists. Ultimately New Zealand’s position will be based on factors including compatibility with longer-term moves to strengthen high-seas governance consistency with existing legal frameworks compliance issues consistency with management within fisheries jurisdictions economic costs and of course the desirability of working cooperatively with like-minded countries. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: Is he aware that the 19 protected seamounts that he referred to are 19 out of 280 and that none of them are of course in the high seas they are all in New Zealand’s economic zone which is not the subject of this moratorium; and further is he aware that when the fishing industry states how much money is made from trawling it is talking also about New Zealand’s economic zone and not about the small amount in the high seas which is the subject of the moratorium? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: Yes but I am pleased to tell the member that in one case she is absolutely wrong; one of those seamounts is outside the New Zealand economic zone. New Zealand and Australia have agreed to put in place a process to establish a regional fisheries management organisation which will mean a much more targeted management approach could be developed for example in the banning of bottom trawling in vulnerable areas. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: Is the Minister aware with regard to regional fisheries management agreements that negotiations on such an agreement in the Indian Ocean began in 2001 and are still continuing but since then increased fishing efforts by New Zealand and Australian boats have so depleted the orange roughy fishery that there is little left to conserve; and is this kind of delay what he is advocating for the rest of the unique ecology of the high seas? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: In terms of the first and last questions yes and no. As to the body of the question I can assure the questioner that New Zealand has one of the strictest regimes for controlling the vessels fishing on the high seas. Unlike in many other countries New Zealand vessels are required to report all catch and to operate satellite monitoring systems so the ministry can know where they are at all times. They must also of course carry a Ministry of Fisheries observer when required.