Ardern Shane: Fisheries (Foreign Charter Vessels and Other Matters) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Ardern Shane: Fisheries (Foreign Charter Vessels and Other Matters) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Sitting date: 14 February 2013. Volume:687;Page:7895. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
SHANE ARDERN (National—Taranaki - King Country) 
: 
 It is a pleasure to rise in this debate on foreign charter vessels with foreign crews. The Minister for Primary Industries has spelt out very clearly—and I also congratulate the Minister on his new appointment; it is wonderful to see that we have got another farmer in the primary industries sector willing to step forward and be part of this process—and pointed out in the early ministerial statements in this debate that the objective is to ensure that crews on foreign vessels have fair pay and conditions. It is also true what the Labour Opposition spokesman said about these conditions having been well below standard for some time. 
It is welcome that the Labour Opposition is supporting the Fisheries (Foreign Charter Vessels and Other Matters) Amendment Bill but not surprising in the sense that my first introduction to this topic was actually when Graham Kelly had a member’s bill drawn out of the ballot and it came to the Primary Production Committee. What I was surprised about at the time though was how under a Labour Government that bill got kicked for touch. One of its own member’s bills did not progress as well as it could have. I was a little bit surprised about that I have to say at the time. I also say that like others I think the former member the Hon Paul Swain has done a very good job of the inquiry into what the situation is. 
I think we need to recognise at this point that this is a substantial industry and a growing industry with $1.5 billion worth of exports and the opportunity to double and triple that over time in a sustainable way. But reputation is everything when it comes to marketing products around the world. The fact that we may have had some activity going on in the industry that would not hold us in good stead as far as our reputation goes is something that those in the industry themselves should be concerned about. No doubt during the select committee process we will hear all the pros and cons of the debate on foreign charter vessels versus New Zealand - owned ships and already we know what some of that debate will be about. 
It is about being able to manage quota for a very short season. It is about low value in some quota fish etc. and being able to capture that where we may not be able to commercially capture that if we could not have foreign charter vessels. It is not about suggesting to the industry that it cannot use foreign charter vessels; it is just about making sure that those who work on those boats and the conditions that they work in are up to the standard that New Zealand would expect and up to what would normally happen in New Zealand. Being able to reflag those ships in New Zealand waters so that New Zealand law will apply in that regard is I think a great step forward. I look forward to the bill coming to the Primary Production Committee where we can hear from those in the industry and work through those concerns one by one. Thank you.