4. Hon DAVID CARTER (National) Link to this
to the Minister of Fisheries
Does he believe he has the confidence of the fishing industry; if not, why not?
Hon JIM ANDERTON (Minister of Fisheries) Link to this
Of course, the member should more properly ask that question of the industry itself, but in my view the answer is yes, because this Government and previous Labour and Labour-led Governments have done more for the fishing industry than any Governments in our history—from introducing the world-leading quota management system in 1987 through to the benthic protected areas policy, which is in partnership with the industry, and which protects 30 percent of our ocean floor.
Does the Minister stand by his lecture to the Seafood Industry Council conference yesterday, when he said: “I’m warning that I’m disappointed with progress. If you think I’m going to leave it there, you don’t know me very well.”, and is this heavy-handed approach likely to gain the confidence of the industry?
Yes, I stand by everything I said. Secondly, the industry is a robust one, and it has a robust Minister to deal with, and we both respect each other in that regard.
Dr Ashraf Choudhary Link to this
Has the Minister seen any reports of expressions of support from the industry?
By the most extraordinary set of circumstances, I have. On 4 April 2007 the Seafood Industry Council said: “The Minister of Fisheries should be applauded for the hard work that he has personally committed to … We congratulate the Minister unreservedly.” But wait—there is more. On 2 December 2006 the Seafood Industry Council said: “We are pleased the Minister of Fisheries is now proposing a range of more practical measures to reduce the accidental hooking of seabirds … It is positive the government seems to be taking a practical approach to tackling the issue,”. But wait—there is more. On 20 December 2006 a press release stated: “ ‘full support for the Minister’s decisions’ is how the Deepwater Group of fishing companies describes the Minister of Fisheries’ decision to reduce the commercial catch limits in some areas for orange roughy,”. I could go on, but I will not. However, I can assure members that there is more.
Why did the Minister give the fishing industry yesterday a “straight talking to”, and can he confirm that he then met, a few hours later, with Labour’s Māori caucus members to receive a “very straight talking to” from them?
Yes, I can confirm that I met with the Māori caucus last night. The Māori caucus and all members of this Government have fraternal relations and talk often to each other. I say to the member that I am not just the Minister for the fishing industry; I am the Minister of Fisheries. My role is to safeguard our fisheries resources for all New Zealanders, both today and into the future, whether they be involved in recreational, customary, or commercial fishing. These are people for whom—and all of us surely come into this category—the environmental integrity of our future fisheries and marine environment is important. It is important to us all. I will uphold that principle anywhere I speak, at any time.
Metiria TureiIs the Minister aware that for 80 percent of landings it is unknown whether the current fish stock biomass is at, above, or below maximum sustainable harvest; and does he agree that the viability and profitability of the fishing industry, including the Māori fisheries assets, both for today and for future generations, is absolutely dependent on his last comment concerning the Government’s need to ensure that we take a precautionary approach to the fishing resources?
I think everyone in Government, everyone in the industry, and recreational and customary fishers know that there is not adequate information on our marine resources, and that it will be a very long time before we have adequate information, no matter how much money we put into it. I can confirm—and it is a no-brainer to me—that if there are no fish left to catch, there is certainly no value for customary fishers, recreational fishers, or commercial fishers. I would have thought that was obvious to even the meanest of minds.
Can the Minister confirm for the House that he still has the numbers to pass the Fisheries Amendment Bill?
One of the reasons that this Government is heading towards its ninth year in Government is that we have got experience in, and understanding of, working cooperatively with other parties. I should tell the House that that is why the member who asked the question was in my office last week discussing with me his concerns about the bill. And we agreed to work together collectively. So maybe the National Party is learning something for a change.
What changes to the Fisheries Amendment Bill did the Minister promise the Labour Māori MPs in yesterday’s meeting?
No promises or commitments were made at any meeting yesterday. We listened to each other in terms of understanding what the issues are, and all of us made commitments to go away, to think through what was said, and to come back together to meet again. That is the way one negotiates; one does not have an ultimatum that one determines before meeting. That may be the National Party’s way of approaching collective discussion when in a coalition Government; it is not ours.
Why did the Minister write to the Hon Chris Carter, the Minister of Conservation, on 28 November 2006, and state in that letter that he had no intention of consulting with either the industry or the Labour caucus in regards to this bill before he introduced it into the House?
The member is not quoting accurately from that letter. What the letter actually stated was that I was not prepared to go into any discussions with any other parties until Cabinet had actually passed the issue we had been dealing with. That is a proper approach for any Cabinet Minister, and it is something we follow almost on a regular basis.