3. Question No. 3—Oceans and FisheriesHon EUGENIE SAGE (Green) to the Minister for Oceans and FisheriesQuestion No. 3—Oceans and Fisheries3. Hon EUGENIE SAGE (Green) to the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries: Does she agree with the statement in the State of our Gulf 2023 report recent events have underscored the precarious nature of the situation and the ecological tipping points we seem intent on testing"; if so does she consider that the Hauraki Gulf Fisheries Plan is an adequate response to the situation?Hon RACHEL BROOKING (Minister for Oceans and Fisheries): To the first part of the question yes. The fisheries plan and wider marine protections announced last week are a significant milestone in protecting the Hauraki Gulf. The plan itself is the first of its kind: an ecosystems-based approach tailored to the unique challenges facing the gulf. However our work does not end there. Just this morning in a speech to the New Zealand Seafood Conference I called the industry's attention to the very report the member references. The Hauraki Gulf is one of the most beautiful and productive waterways in the world and it is under stress. We need action working alongside mana whenua communities and wider industry and that is exactly what a Labour Government will continue to deliver.Hon Eugenie Sage: Is she confident that the fisheries plan will restore fish stocks once abundant in Tīkapa Moana—the Hauraki Gulf—such as snapper and kahawai and prevent any further fisheries from collapsing as the scallop fishery has?Hon RACHEL BROOKING: The plan will continue to look at what all those species are doing. It is a five-year plan and it has an action plan for every year and a lot of the actions include monitoring. Where there are specific measures needed for specific stock within the gulf further regulatory actions can be taken.Hon Eugenie Sage: Why has she not acted immediately to ban bottom trawling in the Hauraki Gulf given the clear public mandate of more than 2000 public submissions on the draft fisheries plan and 36000 people signing a petition calling for a ban on bottom trawling in the Hauraki Gulf?Hon RACHEL BROOKING: At the moment 27 percent of the Hauraki Gulf has bottom trawling banned from it and one of the actions in the fisheries plan is to really reverse that presumption so that bottom trawling in the gulf can't happen except for in very specific areas. We will soon be consulting on the size of those very specific areas and—to the member's question about why not totally ban it at the moment—in general of our whole fishery 67 percent of our fisheries is from bottom trawling and it is a significant part of our economy.Chlöe Swarbrick: Has she sought advice from Fisheries New Zealand about the risk of bottom trawling spreading the invasive seaweed Caulerpa brachypus and if not why not?Hon RACHEL BROOKING: I've certainly had many discussions with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) about Caulerpa and its spread. In those discussions the evidence does seem to say that where the Caulerpa is found is in areas where there are yachts.Hon Eugenie Sage: Is it acceptable that mana whenua and community groups have had to take their own action such as establishing a rāhui around Waiheke Island and elsewhere to help restore fish stocks in the absence of prompt Government action?Chlöe Swarbrick: Shout-out to Ngāti Paoa.Hon RACHEL BROOKING: I just heard a little heckle there from the member for Auckland Central and I do agree with it. There is amazing work being undertaken by community groups in that area at the moment and I commend them for that. Caulerpa is a biosecurity problem and that doesn't fall under my delegations but of course it is relevant to the fisheries in the Hauraki Gulf and there has been over $3 million spent by MPI on this issue already.Hon Eugenie Sage: Will she take strong and urgent action to ensure the health of the gulf is restored rather than allowing the continued trends of decline as has happened in the 20 years since the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park was established?Hon RACHEL BROOKING: I consider that this fisheries plan and the work that will continue on as it's implemented is strong action and there's always more that can be done both on land and in the sea."