Simich Clem: Fisheries Amendment Bill (No 4) — Third Reading 
Simich Clem: Fisheries Amendment Bill (No 4) — Third Reading 
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The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Clem Simich) 
: Order! 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Would that member sit down and shut up while I am talking! I am entitled to make my point of order without his jumping up and down like the inexperienced novice that he is. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Clem Simich) 
: That has been settled. Could we please have the member’s point of order? 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: He cannot make those statements— 
PHIL HEATLEY 
: I withdraw and apologise. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Now he has done it twice. If he does it a third time he should be told to leave the House. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Clem Simich) 
: I will be the judge of that. The member is encouraging that behaviour. I have the member’s point of order and I thank him for it. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Can I have my point of order heard in silence where that member is concerned? 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Clem Simich) 
: Absolutely! My Heatley is not to repeat that behaviour when a point of order is in progress. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: That member cannot make allegations like that. He should get up withdraw and apologise and wash his mouth out. 
PHIL HEATLEY 
: I withdraw and apologise. Unfortunately Sealord Group has not seen any justice in print and certainly will not see any justice in practice and we are disappointed with that. 
However the National Party will support this bill. It is our view that scampi should come into the quota management system as soon as possible and of course this bill allows that to happen on 1 October of this year. It is our view that the scampi fishery not being in the quota management system is unsustainable simply because there is a race to catch fish. There is little regard for ensuring that fishing occurs during the time of the year when scampi are mature and there is no incentive at the moment to do so. Juvenile fish are being brought up fishing-grounds are being targeted and there is a fair degree of tension out on the water in the scampi fishing-grounds. So we support scampi coming into the quota management system and will certainly vote for the bill with that in mind. 
We also note and refer back to our concerns over the boundary changes to quota management area No. 3 and quota management area No. 4A. Members will recall that quota management area No. 3 is off the Canterbury Bight on the east coast of the South Island and quota management area No. 4A is further east around the Chatham Rise. We were concerned that that larger area quota management areas No. 3 and No. 4A had a dividing line within it and that that particular dividing line was going to be shifted well to the east. We knew that would have consequences with regard to the amount of Crown quota available for tender or available for settlement on the aggrieved fishers. That was of concern to us but what was of more concern what was the most significant and paramount concern was the fact that shifting that line may make the scampi fishery in that area less sustainable and the fish in some respects may be pillaged and the fishing-grounds damaged. We were given assurances by the Minister of Fisheries in the House—and I thank the Minister for giving those assurances—that that line was shifted for sustainability and utilisation reasons. 
We now know that there are two specific fishing-grounds in areas 3 and 4A. The line as it is now shifted in this bill—and the National Party endorses this change—splits those two fishing-grounds cleanly. That means that the take of fish can be increased and everybody is a winner. The fishery is a winner because it is being fished sustainably; the fishers with quota are winners because they are able to get more quota and improve their businesses; and of course the aggrieved fishers or others wanting to get into the scampi fishery are winners too because there is excess quota for them to purchase. We are delighted about that. 
National will be supporting this bill with that proviso. Our prime concern having worked through the other issues was always those boundaries. I would like to say that working through the scampi inquiry was an arduous process. Most of us on the select committee were focused on getting a good result and I would like to acknowledge all the members on the committee particularly the Labour Party National Party and ACT members. Others certainly pursued their own agenda but that was OK because we came out with the right result. We were not influenced in any way by others on the committee. We are delighted to see scampi going in to the quota management system this year. That accords with the wishes of the majority of those in the seafood industry who simply want to sustainably utilise the scampi fishery.