4. Marine Environment—Sustainable Management and Marine Protected AreasJAMES SHAW (Co-Leader—Green) to the Prime MinisterMarine Environment—Sustainable Management and Marine Protected Areas4. JAMES SHAW (Co-Leader—Green) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements?Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister): Yes.James Shaw: Does he stand by his statement that New Zealanders value our coasts and oceans which are an important part of our culture economy and environment and we are committed to managing them sustainably."?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Yes.James Shaw: Does he believe that our oceans are managed sustainably today given that 28 percent of our marine mammals and 90 percent of our seabirds are threatened with extinction?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I think if one looks overall at the management of oceans that are under New Zealand's control you would say that they are sustainably managed. I think the quota management system by and large actually has been a highly effective method. Secondly in terms of marine mammals and the like the Government has been moving as the member knows towards putting more of New Zealand's marine space into ocean sanctuaries. Last week in fact the Government was delighted by the steps that New Zealand had led with the United States in relation to the Ross Sea. Obviously we are looking to make progress on the Kermadecs. New Zealand has also done in the time that we have been the Government a number of other ocean sanctuaries in relation to places like Kaikōura. So it is a general yes—I think the Government is progressing that objective—but we acknowledge there are some potentially endangered species and that is why we are taking the steps that we are.James Shaw: Given that would he say that his policies are working when 28 percent of our marine mammals and 90 percent of our seabirds are threatened with extinction?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: For the most part yes I think they are working but one of the threats to our birdlife for instance is from predators and that is why the Government has been supportive of and has the initiative of a predator-free New Zealand by 2050.James Shaw: Why did New Zealand abstain from supporting a motion at the International Union for Conservation of Nature World Conservation Congress to protect 30 percent of oceans as no-take marine reserves when 89 percent of other nations supported it?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I would need to get absolute advice on that but testing my memory it was partly to do with the fact that we believe that the way that we measure our oceans in relation to the quota management system with a measure of marine reserves is a more effective way of doing things. I think the member will probably find that a lot of the countries that voted for that simply do not have the ocean space that New Zealand does. I think New Zealand is pretty well respected internationally for the work it does around marine protection. We would certainly like to make progress on the Kermadecs; we realise that the Green Party is supportive of that and if it would like to go and talk to the nice people at Te Ohu Kaimoana (TOKM) and get them to see it the Green Party's way collectively we will be able to pass that through Parliament very rapidly.James Shaw: Does he agree with the National Party's 2014 election policy to include the exclusive economic zone in the marine protected areas Act? Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Yes I agree with the policy but we then decided to advance the Kermadecs. As I said if he could just make himself busy this afternoon and go down to see the good people at TOKM and convince them that actually conservation for the wider good of all New Zealanders is a worthy and admirable cause then we will be able to pass that legislation very soon. James Shaw: Did Cabinet reject the proposal to extend marine protected areas into the exclusive economic zone because Ministers wanted to keep our ocean open for oil exploration and seabed mining?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: No."