Jones ShaneFISHERIES (INTERNATIONAL FISHING AND OTHER MATTERS) AMENDMENT BILLFirst ReadingHon SHANE JONES (Minister for Oceans and Fisheries): I present a legislative statement on the Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill.DEPUTY SPEAKER: That legislative statement is published under the authority of the House and can be found on the Parliament website.Hon SHANE JONES: I move That the Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill be now read a first time.I nominate the Primary Production Committee to consider the bill. We are world leaders in the sustainable management of fisheries. Fisheries resources in the Pacific and Southern Oceans are valuable to our nation and they are the lifeblood of our industry. Very briefly let me outline what is available in the regulatory impact statement the legislative statement so let no one think that there are omissions in relation to why we're doing this bill. Our position in terms of the $2 billion seafood export industry needs to be consistently affirmed. Secondly we protect New Zealand's continuing access to the lucrative fisheries in the Pacific and the Southern Oceans and who knows as a consequence of an overdue decision today even the Kermadec zone.The third issue is that New Zealand can continue to access valuable export markets like the US EU and Japan which all have measures to block imports from illegal unreported and unregulated—or what they call IUU fishing—a blight that we have sought to contain and address throughout the Pacific for a long period of time.Illegal fishing undermines New Zealand's contributions to sustainable fisheries management and it undermines the interests of our legitimate fishing operators. But more importantly illegal fishing threatens our interests in the Southern and Pacific Oceans. The Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee presented to this House last year such a report on IUU fishing. Many are the delegations that have been to various fora both at the UN other international entities but also at the World Trade Organization to address the subsidisation or the laxity associated with other Governments and what they are or are not doing in respect of IUU. This bill reflects the Government's commitment to a strong domestic framework against illegal fishing.The bill also reflects New Zealand First's policy for primary industry and the environment. All of the parties that comprise our side of the House with the powers of Government are pro-industry. We want to accentuate every positive dimension about the primary sector that was undermined weakened and corroded as a consequence of foolish regulation ill-conceived plans and too much Kumbaya".The regime in terms of international fisheries goes back in terms of our Fisheries Act over 25 years. Since then international awareness conception and obligations in terms of IUU fishing have evolved. This is an attempt with this bill to update our responses our obligations.Two overarching aims should be read into the record of our parliamentary proceedings. One to enable New Zealand to better meet its international obligations of a compliance nature and a management nature. Number two to improve the efficiency and clarity of the provisions and decision-making processes related to international fisheries.How will that happen? By amending provisions in the following areas: permitting of New Zealand vessels fishing outside our waters and effectiveness and efficiency in terms of actions against violations. Permitting regime: all regimes are capable of being improved. Some regimes disappear and others come to the fore and I speak on behalf of the current group of politicians who hold the privilege of constitutional ministerial positions and the obligations of governing for New Zealanders and we want to ensure that the commercial interests of New Zealand both internationally and domestically are not either undermined or neglected or marginalised by people who have an excessive level of interest in joining international green NGO echo chambers. We are not going to allow fisheries in New Zealand to be forced into that trap but we are going to ensure that where we do have fisheries interests we remain positive global citizens.Under this bill vessels will require a permit to fish anywhere outside our waters. This will improve our ability to ensure that our vessels comply with both international obligations and the obligations of other States. We're going to ensure that conditions in terms of what are required to be upheld when we permit a vessel are consistently observed.Just winding up we will take effective action against violations. Our fishing industry has a high level of compliance and our officers are resolute at enforcing rules. We need to update however enforcement tools to demonstrate that we can continue to take effective action. If a New Zealand-flagged vessel was to be found to have undermined a measure and New Zealand failed to take effective action that could not only damage our reputation but it could be used in a way negative to our prospects as primary producers. Our seafood exports will be scrutinised by import markets without a doubt but let no one buy into the ongoing false narrative for the small number of parliamentarians and their fellow travellers who are trying to use international trade obligations to intimidate New Zealand politicians who have been mandated to form the Government to come up with sensible climate change policies that make sense to ordinary Kiwis who want to see an economic dividend and a surplus continuously generated so we can afford through fisheries industry and other industries the accoutrements that define us as a First World nation. We need practical pragmatic sustainable climate change outcomes of which fisheries is a key part.So closer to home we have the western and central Pacific: over 6.5 percent of catch of all tuna species were found to be involved in IUU—not a good outcome. Updating the Fisheries Act strengthens our hand at holding offenders to account and in addition this will strengthen our ability to inspect and investigate foreign and Stateless vessels and allow us to deter and penalise the support or engagement of IUU fisheries.Who have we consulted? Extensive consultation has informed this bill. The Ministry for Primary Industries led multiple and regular engagement sessions. All stakeholders agreed that the regime should be updated.On the Treaty of Waitangi as the fisheries Minister I could have consulted myself because we've had far too much expansiveness and rubbery thinking fitting of a comic figure in relation to the application of the Treaty. But I can assure you where the Treaty features in this bill—mercifully modestly—we are not going to allow that creeping sensation that has blighted legislation pertaining to primary produce legislation through the Treaty to continue. You have the word of an experienced politician in that regard. So in conclusion I have set out at the beginning of my speech the reasons why we're doing it the importance of a robust regime and for those reasons I look forward to the select committee when it finally is received doing a robust job. Therefore I am very proud to introduce this bill to the House.DEPUTY SPEAKER: The question is that the motion be agreed to."