Abel SteveSTEVE ABEL (Green): Thank you Madam Speaker. The current regime in terms of illegal unreported and unregulated fishing is not fit for purpose and it risks falling out of line with our international obligations. Illegal unreported unregulated fishing is a significant threat to the sustainability of fish stocks and the overall health of our ocean ecosystem. This bill is limited however to fisheries beyond our exclusive economic zone. Whilst we commend it we would like to see broader reform which assesses all of the Fisheries Act against New Zealand's international obligations. This bill should be thus expanded—including our domestic fisheries and fixing them where they fall short.I believe that is a forlorn hope with this Government because we have a Minister of fisheries who is donkey deep in dead fish and we would have thought previously that he was an advocate for fisheries but what we find emerging in his seeming co-advocacy for seabed mining is that he doesn't really care how the fish die as long as as many fish die as possible—whether it's through overfishing or through seabed mining.DEPUTY SPEAKER: I think we could talk about that as a consequence but not as an intention. Thank you.STEVE ABEL: Honestly Madam Chair I appreciate that. I think when the Hon Shane Jones comes into the Chamber the fish swim for their lives. And I appreciate—DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member can carry on with his speech. Thank you. We've just got to be careful that we don't make personal attacks in the House OK?STEVE ABEL: I appreciate it Madam Speaker. Thank you for that.In terms of this Government's position on fisheries today of all days when we have a bill here that is doing something useful but manages to ignore what is happening within our exclusive economic zone and what is within our ambit the Kermadec sanctuary bill falls from the order paper. On this very same day the Kermadec sanctuary bill that was brought forward by a National Government as a flagship piece of legislation to protect our environment is taken from the order paper just the day after the Minister for Regional Development mentioned that there are manganese nodules in the Kermadec Islands. And Trans-Tasman Resources this very day also withdrew from the Environmental Protection Agency because I am certain that they have been given the nod that they'll be on the fast-track legislation.So whilst we can celebrate the protection of international oceans from illegal unregulated and unreported fishing we cannot celebrate what is happening here. We are the last country in the South Pacific to still undertake destructive bottom trawling. And in that international realm of responsibility at the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation New Zealand had previously committed to bringing a proposal for protection of the most vulnerable ocean ecosystems and we reneged on that with the change of Government to the present Government. In fact Australia had to make that submission and then we voted against it.So this Government has a long way to go before it is equal and authentic in terms of its expression of support for protection of our fisheries and our ocean ecosystems. This particular effort in protecting global oceans from illegal unreported and unregulated fishing is a good thing and it is carried over from previous efforts and I do commend it to the House. But in all authenticity the oceans are vital for the survival of all of us. They are a commons. The bounty of the oceans should be protected and maintained in a way that gives us the abilities to sustain human populations for generations to come. They should not simply be illegally accessed—or legally accessed—in a way that is highly destructive. I would urge this Government and this Minister to do all in their power to actually act in the common interest and broaden this bill to include everything within our ambit including the way that fishing and oceans management is done within our exclusive economic zone in the waters of Aotearoa New Zealand. Kia ora.