Ewen-Street Ian: Resource Management (Aquaculture Moratorium Extension) Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
Ewen-Street Ian: Resource Management (Aquaculture Moratorium Extension) Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:616;Page:11742] 
IAN EWEN-STREET (Green) 
: 
 The Green Party supports the extension of the moratorium. I note that most of the other members who have spoken seem to believe that the extension of the moratorium represents a problem in some way. While I see their point of view it is also a reality that we can see the extension of the moratorium as an opportunity for the Government and regional councils. 
There has been much talk about the race for space—which is why the original moratorium was put in place—and the complication of the foreshore and seabed issue that is being debated publicly at the moment. If we look at the extension of the moratorium as an opportunity we can appreciate the complexity of what aquaculture is all about. It is not just about people occupying space and making money. It is about a natural ecosystem that is being interfered with by humans. We need to spend time and money looking at research into the effects of marine farming. 
If the Government got off its backside and very rapidly put at least a draft of the main aquaculture reform legislation out to the community regional councils at least would be able to say that those are the kinds of areas they want to put into their aquaculture management areas and it would allow them the time to do baseline surveys. What happens at the moment is that an individual company or an individual person says: “I’m going to put a marine farm here. This looks like an appropriate area.” They do their impact research on the local environment and they get a resource consent or not on the basis of that information. 
Further if we are to extend aquaculture management areas in the future we need to know what is there at the moment—in other words in its undisturbed state—so that we can look back subsequently and say that is the impact that marine farms have had. In terms of cumulative impact no reports have been done. No long-term longitudinal studies have been done on the impact of marine farming on the marine ecosystem. 
There is also the question of the rubbish generated by marine farms and that is a very real issue. I take my hat off to companies in the Marlborough Sounds—in particular Sanford’s which has recognised that rubbish from marine farms is a major issue. Floats break free little pieces of rope are cut off in the harvesting process and they tend to drift ashore and accumulate on beaches. To Sanford’s credit it has adopted beaches and encouraged members of the community to adopt beaches and they have done clean-ups. But it is an issue that we have to look at and we have that opportunity right now. If we know where the aquaculture management areas are likely to be we can do baseline studies and find out what the situation is now before an aquaculture industry is developed. 
 There is also the opportunity to look at the interrelationship or creative tension between competing users of space. These are not just marine farmers but boaties recreational fisher people and people who go to live in areas like the Marlborough Sounds for the natural beauty of the place and simply do not like to have their view disturbed. There are varying views on that of course. Some people think that the busyness of a view adds to it. However the residents of a particular area certainly have the right to be heard. 
There is also the impact of marine farms on zooplankton and phytoplankton the nutrient sources for the mussels; also the argument that mussels by eating the phytoplankton are not actually taking away a resource but creating a light space so that more phytoplankton can grow thereby creating their own food. But we simply do not know what the long-term impacts are. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: We do. Look at the Scottish study and the Tasmania study. 
IAN EWEN-STREET 
: That is precisely it—look at the Tasmanian studies and the Scottish studies. What I am talking about is looking at the New Zealand studies. We have in New Zealand a unique species that grows nowhere else in the world. We need to do the baseline studies that have not been done and we now have the opportunity to do them. 
The Greens support the passage of this bill. I suspect though that my colleague Phil Heatley may be correct in that we will be having another debate on precisely this issue before December this year. That will be when the Minister discovers that a 9-month extension is simply not sufficient for regional councils to do the work required and for marine farmers to adapt themselves to the upcoming aquaculture reforms.