9. Question No. 9—Oceans and FisheriesHon EUGENIE SAGE (Green) (remote) to the Minister for Oceans and FisheriesQuestion No. 9—Oceans and Fisheries9. Hon EUGENIE SAGE (Green) (remote) to the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries: Will the Government ban bottom trawling on seamounts in New Zealand waters and support similar measures in international waters including in the South Pacific?Hon DAVID PARKER (Minister for Oceans and Fisheries): Fisheries New Zealand and the Department of Conservation are establishing a multi-stakeholder forum on managing the effects of trawling on the benthic environment in New Zealand's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The impacts on seamounts and seamount-like features are being considered as part of the forum deliberations. Following the forum and public consultation the Government will consider whether to impose additional restrictions on bottom trawling in New Zealand or EEZ waters. Bottom trawling in international South Pacific waters is regulated by the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation—SPRFMO. SPRFMO is due to review the issue at the 2023 commission meeting and the issue is also being considered intersessionally by SPRFMO members of which New Zealand is one. New Zealand will play a responsible role in that consideration.Hon Eugenie Sage: Does he stand by his statement that I do accept that bottom trawling has environmental impacts and we should be doing our utmost to moderate them." and if so why has he set up a stakeholder forum rather than taking immediate action to moderate these impacts?Hon DAVID PARKER: Yes and we will achieve that moderation through the steps that we've taken.Hon Eugenie Sage: Has he received any recent advice on creating a framework for defining and identifying habitats of particular significance for fisheries management in accordance with section 9(c) of the 1996 Fisheries Act following the report of the Prime Minister's Chief Science Adviser in March 2021 and if so what did that advice say?Hon DAVID PARKER: If the member means "very recently" no. Since the Chief Science Adviser's report was received I have received some advice on that. And it also informed the measures that the Government took in response to the sea-change recommendations in the Hauraki Gulf.SPEAKER: Sorry supplementary question the Hon Eugenie Sage. Just a bit of a reminder: you get two and then you ask them after that. But we'll keep going until you stop OK?Hon Eugenie Sage: Thank you. Does he agree with former Prime Minister the Rt Hon Helen Clark who was reported last week as saying "It is a concern to me that New Zealand still bottom trawls on sea mounts in the South Pacific high seas areas and the Tasman Sea … there's incredible damage being done to our seamounts from this kind of activity." and if so what action is he taking to avoid this damage?Hon DAVID PARKER: I agree that bottom trawling causes environmental damage as I have previously said. I don't think these things are as easy to solve when you are in Government as they appear to be after you've left.Hon Eugenie Sage: Does he agree with the Rt Hon Helen Clark who was also reported as saying last week that she hoped bottom trawling of seamounts in the South Pacific would be banned under a sufficiently strong global oceans treaty and if not why not?Hon DAVID PARKER: I have great respect for my former leader but I don't agree with all of her prescriptions which is not to say I disagree with this one.Hon Eugenie Sage: Does he believe New Zealand's position as the only country which has commercial fishing vessels bottom trawling on seamounts in the South Pacific is defensible in the face of an urgent global biodiversity crisis; if so why?Hon DAVID PARKER: I'm not sure that I quite agree with the articulation of the way in which the member describes New Zealand's position compared with other countries. I would observe that some of the countries that take positions through SPRFMO take different positions in other parts of the world including areas where they fish."