Policy is made within the Green Party by the membership and reviews include several phases of consultation or consideration by a targeted issues group, policy committee and membership with some consideration along the way by Caucus. It is not a populist election focused system but rather more principles and context based. What is critical is where our overlying principles lie, beginning with ecological wisdom – that ecological sustainability is paramount, and also including social responsibility – the key being the just distribution of social and natural resources, and then, appropriate decision making – for the implementation of ecological wisdom and social responsibility, decisions will be made directly at the appropriate level by those affected. As fisheries spokesperson and coming from experience in the Marlborough Recreational Fishers Association and local and national environmental groups, I have engaged significantly through the sector, commercial, recreational and environmental, including with some iwi and NGO’s to be as best informed as possible and within my capacity have been prepared to put my neck out when injustice around fisheries issues has been apparent. We have lots to do. Abundance has been my personal ambition for fisheries as those in the Marlborough Sounds can attest and is part of why I have chosen to enter Parliament. In regards to LegaSea’s 5 Key Policy Recommendations document, I indicated at the recent Hokianga Accord hui last Thursday that the Green Party agreed with them all. They fit well with Green Party principles and policy, indeed some are close to identical. Here follows some particular points/comment; 1. Public Ownership. 1 ~= Green Party 3. Propose a return to resource rentals, as existed until 1992, because New Zealanders currently get no return from companies deriving profits by fishing public resources. 2 & 3 The Green Party would not implement and entrench proportional shares in our fisheries – which seems to be the National Governments hidden agenda. The Green Party would implement fisheries policies that first and foremost protect the health of our oceans. In areas where fishing is sustainable, we would protect customary rights and reasonable public access, before allowing commercial fishing. Fishing families first. 2. Manage for abundance;1 – 4 Yes to a 40% unfished biomass target. The Green party is in agreement on all points, however would look to raising the target for some species further than the 40% of unfished biomass if necessary to achieve genuine sustainability and genetic diversity within species. 3. Reduce WastageThe Green Party is actively researching overseas models with the view to requiring the landing of all catch and have processing within New Zealand. The Quota Management System must be reviewed to remove the perverse incentives that encourage poor fishing practice and dumping.The Green Party continues to campaign against destructive fishing methods including bottom dredging and trawling impacting the benthos. Scallop harvesting for example would be better to be handpicked resulting in advantages to size selection and habitat protection. 4. Equal size limitsThe Green Party agrees with this principle and both recreational and commercial fisheries size limits must reflect the rebuilding of biomass and future sustainability fairly and consistently.

5. Economic ValuationThe Green Party understands the desire for independently sourced information to better establish the enormous value of recreational fishing and supports research to achieve that end, however wishes to note that the principles already outlined should negate the need for the inherent rights of New Zealanders to recreational fishing to be protected by an economic argument. That argument is necessary only in the current political-commercial context. The Green Party has a plan for a cleaner, fairer, smarter New Zealand. https://www.greens.org.nz/policy/sea-and-ocean-policy 2. Sustainable fisheries managementFisheries around the world have been devastated by over-utilisation. Despite the quota management system (QMS), New Zealand's fisheries are susceptible to the same fate as exemplified by the collapse of the orange roughy fishery and the marked decline currently occurring in the hoki fishery. Many quotas are set without any scientific evidence of the level of harvest that is sustainable. The Greens promote sustainable utilisation of fisheries and will:

1.       Move to integrated marine ecosystem management to ensure fish populations are maintained at ecologically sustainable levels rather than single species stock management as occurs now, and to ensure that non target marine and seabird species are meaningfully considered.

2.       Underpin fisheries management with consistent and integrated administration, sound scientific research and Māori knowledge of the sustainable management of fishing resources, e.g. through tikanga and matauranga.

3.       Propose a return to resource rentals, as existed until 1992, because New Zealanders currently get no return from companies deriving profits by fishing public resources

4.       Propose negotiations take place between the Crown and Māori quota- holders about establishing an equivalent process for rentals that will be paid by Māori quota-holders and managed by Māori.

5.       Ensure allowable catches for species newly introduced into the QMS are set at very precautionary levels until research is completed that would enable sustainable levels to be set with confidence.

6.       Manage all fish stocks by maintaining the population which supports the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) as a minimum, not a target, level.

7.       Introduce environmental impact assessments for fishing technologies.8.       In accordance with findings of environmental impact assessments, more vigorously impose restrictions:

a.       On fishing methods (such as bottom trawling and long lining) with high catch rates of endangered species.b.       On periods of fishing, e.g. during times when environmental conditions lead to fewer young fish reaching

maturity.c.        On areas where fishing can occur, e.g. around the Auckland Island sea lion colonies, in accordance with

findings of environmental impact assessments.9.       Require use of best practice methods of fishing within the timeframe specified by the Minister.10.    Increase resources, including increasing the number of fully-equipped honorary and paid fisheries officers, for

enforcement of commercial, recreational and customary fisheries regulations to deter illegal and unsustainable take.

11.    Develop local fisheries management plans based on sound science and providing for fair participation in the process by all stakeholders — including providing financial support to non-commercial groups to enable them to represent their interests at both local and national levels.

12.    Manage kahawai and kingfish primarily as recreational fisheries with quota set only for unavoidable by-catch.13.    Manage seaweeds, sponges, paua and other relatively immobile life forms on a local area basis rather than in

large Quota Management Areas in order to avoid local depletion.14.    Protect the viability of small commercial fishers and fishing communities as essential components of the

fishing industry by:a.       Supporting the role of small commercial fisheries in sustainably providing for New Zealanders to be able

to consume seafood, recognising that many cannot catch it for themselves.b.       Investigating the option of a clawback of in-shore quota into a local pool that can only be owned within a

specific geographical area.

c.        Revising cost recovery and administration charges so that costs are more in proportion to the commercial benefit derived from the fishery, e.g., in the inshore fisheries flat boat registration charges will be changed to ensure they reflect the size of the vessels. Levies will not be charged when a fishery cannot be fished.

15.    Promote better international management of high seas fisheries such as Patagonian toothfish, migratory tuna and other species, and better international control of destructive fishing practices such as bottom trawling, and of illegal fishing.

16.    Require foreign vessels chartered by New Zealand companies and New Zealand owned or registered vessels to abide by New Zealand law wherever they are operating.

17.    Ensure retention of New Zealand control and utilisation of our fisheries.3. AquacultureAquaculture activities need to be sustainably managed in order to avoid damaging fish breeding grounds and other aspects of coastal ecosystems, and to avoid polluting the marine environment. To ensure sustainable management and public involvement in decision-making on aquaculture management areas, the Green Party will:

1.       Set national standards under the Resource Management Act to guide regional councils in the processes to be followed when designating aquaculture management areas and assessing applications for marine farms.

2.       Ensure regional councils have access to sound scientific advice on the environmental impacts of aquaculture activities, e.g. on nutrient flows and marine mammals, when designating Aquaculture Management Areas and determining consents for use of space. (Note: In the absence of scientific agreement, regional councils should take a precautionary approach to granting consents.)

3.       Require regional councils to recognise the kaitiaki role of hapū when developing regional coastal plans and aquaculture management areas.

4.       Ensure regional councils cannot enter confidentiality agreements over scientific information relevant to sustainability decisions.

4. Fisheries researchMost fisheries research is currently focussed on single species stock assessments, in line with the existing approach to management. To support a move to a marine ecosystem management approach, there will need to be a considerable increase in the amount of research investigating how fish interact with other species, both commercial and non-commercial, and with environmental factors like food sources, water quality and climatic changes. To this end, the Green Party will:

1.       Support a major increase in multidisciplinary research to enhance understanding of marine and coastal ecosystems.

2.       Increase research into the environmental effects of fishing methods and into more environmentally responsible fishing methods.

3.       Provide research support for tangata whenua to investigate methods of managing their customary fishing resources.

4.       Ensure research remains under public control, rather than being controlled by the industry.

5.       Ensure that scientific observers, or other means of assessing catches, are on every significant vessel operating in New Zealand waters.

6.       Develop urgently needed biosecurity risk assessment and control protocols.