6. Question No. 6—Foreign AffairsTEANAU TUIONO (Green) to the Minister of Foreign AffairsQuestion No. 6—Foreign Affairs6. TEANAU TUIONO (Green) to the Minister of Foreign Affairs: Does she stand by her statement that We're acutely aware of the environmental risks associated with deep-sea mining"; and if so why did New Zealand abstain on a motion supporting "Protection of deep-ocean ecosystems and biodiversity through a moratorium on seabed mining" at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature last week?Hon NANAIA MAHUTA (Minister of Foreign Affairs): Yes I do. New Zealand is committed to the protection and preservation of the marine environment. We recognise that deep-sea mining poses risks to the marine environment. New Zealand is one of the few countries to have a robust regulatory framework to govern seabed mining within its national jurisdiction. Internationally we are actively engaged as a member of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) in the development of a regulatory framework to govern seabed mining. We're calling for a robust legal framework effective governance structures and high standards of environmental protection to ensure that deep-sea mining does not take place unless we can ensure the protection of our oceans.Teanau Tuiono: Does the Minister agree with Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade's recent submission to the International Seabed Authority on its mining code which states that a precautionary approach "should be incorporated into the framework of regulations standards and guidelines in a more considered deliberate way."; if so why?Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: Yes I do and alongside that as we advocate for the application of the precautionary approach for public participation in decision making for robust standards of environmental impact assessment and environmental monitoring and management plans and having a regulatory framework where there are set international rules and norms that sovereign nations can abide by when they consider deep-sea mining—it is a great guide to go by.Teanau Tuiono: Why is a moratorium on sea-bed mining inconsistent with developing high standards of environmental protection then?Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: It's not a matter of whether a moratorium is inconsistent with high standards; it's a matter of what international rules and norms will guide countries as they make their sovereign decision around deep-sea mining. That is why New Zealand continues to participate in the International Seabed Authority to develop the regulations that will guide these countries.Hon Eugenie Sage: Will New Zealand support an international moratorium on deep-sea mining if development of the mining code at the International Seabed Authority fails to ensure the protection and preservation of the marine environment; if not why not?Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: Thank you for the question. We are not at that stage yet. We would hope that by participating in the ISA to develop a strong regulatory framework where there are high environmental standards to guide sovereign nations on its consideration of deep-sea mining that is the first port of call that we would go to. Any other consideration beyond that will have to be dealt with at that point in time.Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: What will she say to tangata w'enua in Aotearoa and tangata moana across the Pacific who have been consistently opposing this destructive mining of the seabed?Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: That New Zealand participates in a regime where we want a strong environmental framework to guide significant decisions such as seabed mining. In participating in the ISA and in establishing rules and norms that sovereign nations can abide by we are in effect trying to achieve the same standard that we are applying on ourselves.Teanau Tuiono: Does the Minister agree with the position expressed within the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) motion that there should be a moratorium until and unless where relevant the free prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples is respected and consent from potentially affected communities is achieved; if not why not?Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: I'm aware of a number of views that have been expressed in relation to the views around the moratorium but New Zealand's position remains the same. We participate in the ISA to ensure that there is a strong regulatory framework to guide sovereign nations in the way that it considers deep-sea mining. That framework sets a very high environmental bar for those sovereign nations to be able to apply a mining code and it would be the responsible approach as they are considering their deep-sea mining opportunities.Hon Eugenie Sage: In abstaining on the motion at the IUCN is the Minister concerned that New Zealand's position on the deep-sea mining motion is different from most other Governments and Government agencies at the IUCN 81 of whom supported it; if not why not?Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: Our position on that particular motion alongside the UK USA Australia Canada France was set to ensure that we could continue to work in a very strong way to build the regulatory framework through the ISA to guide countries in their determination—their sovereign determination—of deep-sea mining. It is a very high standard that we're trying to set and assure ourselves and with multilateral countries who are of a common mind they took the same position as New Zealand."