Fitzsimons Jeanette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Fitzsimons Jeanette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:625;Page:20309] 
4.  
JEANETTE FITZSIMONS (Co-Leader—Green) 
 to the  
Minister of Fisheries 
: How many codes of practice have been approved under the national plan of action on seabirds and have seabird deaths in the fishing industry reduced as a result of these codes? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Associate Minister of Fisheries) 
 on behalf of the 
 Minister of Fisheries 
: I am advised that one code of practice has been approved and applied. Three codes of practice are currently going through an approval process with the mitigation measures set out in those codes already being used by fishers. Five further codes are due for approval by June 2005. The number of seabird deaths has reduced substantially in those fisheries that are using mitigation measures. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: When will he accept that the voluntary measures in the so-called action plan are not working with eight codes due to have been approved months ago and only one actually in place and when will he make best-practice fishing methods mandatory for all vessels fishing in New Zealand waters? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I am advised that the Minister agrees with the Green Party and the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society that this is an unacceptable situation. I can confirm that 2 weeks ago the Minister called for the Ministry of Fisheries to prepare a report on this issue. The report is expected to be with the Minister by the end of this week. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: Is he aware that the joint-venture tuna fishery has reduced its seabird deaths from 4000 to just 20 using a package of measures that have been known and available for the last 15 years and what possible excuse is there for any Kiwi vessel fishing in our own waters not to employ those same precautions? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: Since the application of mitigation measures in the ling auto-longline fishery the number of seabird deaths has reduced by 75 percent. In relation to the joint-venture tuna fishery the number of seabird deaths has reduced by 95 percent. Certainly the Minister has asked for the report by the end of the week. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: When will he require observers or other independent monitoring on all boats as required now on those joint-venture boats so he has the information he needs about the extent of the slaughter? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: There are already people out there observing and watching. We have ministry officers on those boats and I suggest that the member over there could take a trip and watch those squawking gulls. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: Will the Minister consider adopting the Green Party policy of setting limits on the number of seabird deaths in each fishery after which that fishery would be closed for the season—as is done now in the squid fishery to protect Hooker’s sea lions in the Auckland Islands? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: The Minister is always obligated to ongoing discussions with the Green Party in relation to that matter. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: While welcoming the Minister’s assurance is 10000 unnecessary deaths a year of seabirds such as albatrosses and petrels and many of them seriously endangered species an indication of the low priority the Government puts on its own biodiversity strategy or is it just that the fishing industry is so scary that ignoring the environmental provisions of the Fisheries Act is easier? 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: No and no.