Kirkpatrick DanaDANA KIRKPATRICK (National—East Coast): Thank you Mr Speaker—thank you for the opportunity to stand and speak on this important inquiry that was investigated by the previous foreign affairs defence and—SPEAKER: Oh look sorry can I just reset there? My apologies I've been given a list; we'd better keep the order of it. If the member wouldn't mind resuming her seat and tolerating the small mistake on my part—no I'm sorry I'm right! Sorry apologies. Please continue and if we could—DANA KIRKPATRICK: It's late on Thursday Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: Yeah it is. It's been a long week—you've got no idea. So if you wouldn't mind starting again that would be the way to do it.DANA KIRKPATRICK: Certainly.Hon Members: It was great stuff last time. I want to hear it again.DANA KIRKPATRICK: OK let's start again. Certainly. Thank you Mr Speaker. Thank you again for the opportunity to take a call on this very important inquiry instigated by the previous Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee. I would like to acknowledge the work done by that committee in what has definitely produced this enlightening and educational report and process for us. I'm pleased to speak about this issue and highlight the responsibility we feel as a part of the bountiful Pacific community because we can bring this issue to the fore and ensure that we are keeping a spotlight on illegal and unreported and unregulated fishing in our neighbouring fisheries.I think it's pretty easy to sit here in New Zealand a land of many opportunities and think that fishing is something we do when one of us or many of us here and in the Pacific Islands consciously decide to go fishing once in a while. But in the Pacific Ocean fisheries are everything. They are the food source the recreation the intergenerational employment the business the opportunities and the way of life. And so I just thought perhaps we'd share some facts with you about some of that. The value of the tuna fishery catch in the western and central Pacific Ocean is estimated at $5.3 billion and for many countries across the Pacific it is their only commercial resource. The fishing industry in the Pacific provides more than 23000 jobs in fishing processing and training officials and observers who monitor the sustainability of the fish stocks. The Pacific has significant marine biodiversity with many rare and endangered species and a large number of migratory species as well that pass through. Fish make up around 70 percent of the diets in the area four times the global average of protein per person.Just to highlight the importance of the fisheries in the Pacific take for instance Tuvalu often characterised as one of a handful of fishery-dependent small island States whose economy livelihoods food security and general health and diet depend largely on marine resources. In fact fishing is one of their biggest and only sources of income. But what do they see happening in their backyard? Well they see an ongoing and seriously damaging threat to fish stocks to the economies of small Pacific islands including the illegal unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing of up to 300000 tonnes of tuna per annum at a 2016 value of $616 million as a colleague said previously. Pacific nations are oceanic countries with large exclusive economic zones and Fiji for example estimates that IUU fishing has potentially reduced the country's economy by millions of dollars. The committee was told that if Fiji was able to bring that resource into its own economy it would provide a more sustainable future for the country and for its people.In Fiji Tonga and the Solomon Islands the committee heard that for many people the first impact is on their livelihoods. People feed themselves and their families from the sea. The committee was told that action is needed to ensure food security in that part of the world. In Tonga the reduction in tuna catch—and that licensed fishing vessels are unable to meet their allocations so we're told there is uncertainty about fish stock data and that consideration is being given to the number of licence holders as a result. Beyond that there are other concerns too.But how can we help to better manage the issues with illegal unreported and unregulated fishing? It's important to note that some of the recommendations from the report and the Government response to the inquiry included collecting more reliable and consistent data to understand the full picture of what's happening in the Pacific Fisheries; reviewing as our colleague mentioned earlier to understand better how New Zealand can assist specific countries to recruit and retain professional staff; that New Zealand opens a dialogue with Pacific fisheries partners about how we can assist with technology to address and combat IUU fishing; and this will be best done through a regional approach and a joined-up approach to it.In New Zealand's own framework the coalition Government has taken this seriously and has already introduced legislation—the Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill—which sets out stronger powers for the investigation and action against suspected illegal or unregulated fishing. So there's some work already being done there. I think it behoves us as a country and as a good neighbour in the Pacific Island community to play our part as good citizens of the Pacific and ensure that the work we do together will support our island neighbours and the fishing stocks and the marine environment that surrounds us. So I'm pleased we're discussing this issue today and I'd like to once again thank the select committee for the report and the work done on it.