7. Question No. 7—Oceans and FisheriesHon EUGENIE SAGE (Green) to the Minister for Oceans and FisheriesQuestion No. 7—Oceans and Fisheries7. Hon EUGENIE SAGE (Green) to the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries: Is she confident that the vision that New Zealanders work towards zero fishing-related … mortalities" in the National Plan of Action – Seabirds 2020 is resulting in significant progress to protect seabirds; if not will she ensure stronger action is taken?Hon RACHEL BROOKING (Minister for Oceans and Fisheries): Yes I am confident in this vision and the significant progress being achieved by this plan. This plan has four goals: avoiding bycatch healthy seabird populations research and information and international engagement. Preliminary 2020-21 estimations indicate a downward trend in seabird captures. This is a result of a comprehensive programme of scientific research monitoring and active management currently under way to achieve these goals. There is more work to do but Aotearoa's seabirds are a precious taonga and I want to make sure they're here for future generations.Hon Eugenie Sage: What if any further work does the Minister consider is needed before making all three best-practice mitigation measures for surface longlining tori streamer lines weighted lines and night setting compulsory to reduce seabird bycatch and address the "low uptake of voluntary measures" identified by Fisheries New Zealand in its 2022 review?Hon RACHEL BROOKING: A review of the surface longline mitigation regulations is currently under way. The consultation closed on Friday 12 May. Submissions are currently being assessed and I will receive advice on those shortly. As the member said this consultation addressed the three out of three mitigation measures on surface longline vessels and whether they should be applied at all times. That is a tori line—or a bird scaring line—setting at night and weighting the line. So I'm awaiting that advice.Hon Eugenie Sage: Is the Minister satisfied that the numbers of reported seabird mortalities in surface longline fisheries are accurate when observed effort of surface longline hooks in 2020-21 was only 11 percent?Hon RACHEL BROOKING: I don't have information about that specific issue to hand; I'm happy to provide it in a written question.Hon Eugenie Sage: What action if any is the Minister considering to avoid seabirds being killed by bottom longline and trawl fisheries when each of these fishing methods captures more seabirds each year than surface longlining between 1400 and 2598 birds in the case of bottom longlining in 2019-20?Hon RACHEL BROOKING: The plan has an annual report and there are review processes in that. At the moment it's focused on the longline and it will look at these other mitigation measures as well.Hon Eugenie Sage: What does the Minister say to BirdLife International who predict that the critically threatened antipodean albatross will be made extinct by 2050 because of deaths from commercial fishing bycatch and a population which has declined by more than two-thirds since 2005?Hon RACHEL BROOKING: Protection for the antipodean albatross is an issue that needs to be solved with the international community and New Zealand is leading the measures internationally to help protect these majestic seabirds. We do have a lot of research under way and are actively working with other countries to understand where the risks to seabirds are occurring across the Southern Hemisphere and how best to manage these risks. The proposals to strengthen the seabird mitigation in surface longline fishing that I've just discussed and will receive advice on soon will help with that.Hon Eugenie Sage: With no significant improvement over the last 10 years in the number of protected seabirds killed each year will the Minister consider using her powers under the Fisheries Act to establish mortality limits for seabird species after which fishing stops; if not why not?Hon RACHEL BROOKING: I will continue asking officials for advice on the best mitigation measures."