Heatley Phil: Fisheries Amendment Bill (No 4) — In Committee 
Heatley Phil: Fisheries Amendment Bill (No 4) — In Committee 
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PHIL HEATLEY (National—Whangarei) 
: 
 I and the National Party are certainly not voting to support this Government. The reason we are voting for this particular clause is that we are concerned for the sustainability of the scampi fishery. My understanding is that at the moment because scampi is not in the quota management system fishers have a certain amount of catch that they can fish for in New Zealand waters. The difficulty is that they are racing against each other to get that catch on board. Consequently they are bringing up a lot of juvenile fish. They are competing against each other out on the water— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: Is the member speaking to the commencement? 
PHIL HEATLEY 
: Absolutely. There is a lot of tension out on the water because fishers are competing against each other and there is a concern for the fishery. That is why the National Party believes that scampi should come into the quota management system on 1 October this year. Hence the requirement of the commencement date whereby: “This Act comes into force on the day after the date on which it receives the Royal assent.” 
I was intrigued by the Green member— 
Janet Mackey 
: Why? 
PHIL HEATLEY 
: I tell Janet Mackey I was intrigued by the Green member Ian Ewen-Street who left the Primary Production Committee because of by-catch. He suggested that it would be a better idea to have scampi come into the quota management system in 2005 and therefore to pass this legislation at a later date a year from now I assume. Yet his minority view is there in the select committee report on the bill. Do members know what he really says about scampi coming into the quota management system next year—in 2005—thereby putting the commencement date a year out? He states this: “The Green Party opposes this legislation. The Green Party is fundamentally opposed to scampi fishing …”. In other words the member does not want scampi fishing to occur next year at all! So his proposal to this Committee that we put it off for 1 year is simply a stalking horse to put off commercial fishing in New Zealand forever. In other words the only New Zealander who can collect by-catch in the scampi fishery is Ian Ewen-Street at the select committee. The National Party exposes that to members. 
We do support the commencement date. The National Party certainly does want scampi to come into the quota management system as soon as possible. I recall saying to the Minister last week during the second reading debate that in terms of this particular issue—the issue of when scampi should come into the quota management system when the bill should be passed and what the commencement date should be—that as long as we resolved the boundary issues National would support this bill. I am not going to resile from that at all. We support this commencement date—that this part and schedule 2 come into force on the day on which this Act receives the royal assent. I know that David Carter has been a strong supporter of scampi coming into the quota management system as soon as possible because of the sustainability issues. Janet Mackey has also been a supporter of that. I know that that has been the argument that has twisted Gerrard Eckhoff’s arm because he has had a principled approach to this matter. Certainly Doug Woolerton and other members on the select committee have thought the same as that. We are concerned for the scampi fishery and the scampi fishers. We are not concerned as Mr Ewen-Street seems to be to hurt the fishing industry further or to right some perceived wrong and at the same time create another wrong—to right one injustice by causing another injustice. Mr Ewen Street ought to consider that point. We support this part.