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{
    "id": 1569422,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1569422/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 377,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Marakwet East, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Kangogo Bowen",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "The Committee further observed that Kenya must regularly notify the WTO Fisheries Subsidies to facilitate surveillance of implementation, effective stock assessment, and related programmes, which would be key to fulfilling this obligation. Additionally, the Committee noted that the Agreement does not allow State parties to enter reservations. However, Article 9(4) of the Treaty provides for a comprehensive review after five years. If there are some reservations from a country, after every five years, they meet to conduct a review. These reviews could result in an amendment based on a practical implementation experience. This is a Treaty of fisheries subsidies. Kenya is still new in this economic front of the blue economy. Many countries are ahead by years. They get most of their revenue through fishing. This is a subsidy Treaty which countries sign to make sure that those who come in to fish in their country and those who have the capacity to do deep sea fishing, are regulated. It also provides for some subsidies so that, as a country, if we have to tap our resources in the deep sea, we provide subsidies through taxation to those who want to invest. So, this is just a regulatory Treaty. It has been signed by many countries and especially, those that border the Indian Ocean and other coastal lines. That is why we need to ratify the Treaty as provided for under Article 2(6) of the Constitution. I want to express my sincere gratitude to the Members of the Committee because when we received the Treaty, we sat and carried out a public participation with stakeholders. The Attorney-General's Office told us the implication of the Treaty from a legal perspective. They told us how it will affect our existing laws. They appeared before us because we already have some other laws like the Kenya Fisheries Act of 2016. We also have the Tuna Commission which we signed. The Attorney-General told the Committee that signing the Treaty will improve our fishing and it is not going to conflict with our existing laws in any way. We also had a meeting with the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs because the Treaty touches on other countries. The Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry also appeared before the Committee and made submissions, and they were all in agreement. Hon. Temporary Speaker, it is the duty of this House to approve the Treaty so that Kenya can benefit from it. I appreciate my colleagues, Members of the Departmental Committee on the Blue Economy, Water and Irrigation who participated in the writing of this Report. I also thank the Clerks attached to the Committee. They supported us in the drafts of this Motion and were with us throughout; taking notes from all the stakeholders. Hon. Temporary Speaker, I beg to move this Motion. I ask Hon. Muthoni, the Member for Meru County, to second. Thank you."
}