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{
    "id": 961694,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/961694/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 534,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Suba South, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. John Mbadi",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 110,
        "legal_name": "John Mbadi Ng'ong'o",
        "slug": "john-mbadi"
    },
    "content": "Europe where we used to export our fish. Even locally, we have more than enough market. In fact, the market or demand in Kenya surpasses the fish we produce, but we still find our fish not getting good market yet fish is being imported from China and many other places. If you look critically, that fish does not match the fish that we produce in this country. So, it is high time we concentrated on this. Finally, I am working on legislation on this. There is a new initiative in which Hon. Ochieng’ Mbeo is involved. It is cage farming. We cannot come up with cage farming without regulations or without a legal framework. There is no legal framework which guides how cage farming should be done. Sometimes those who engage in cage fish farming block those who are doing the traditional fish farming from getting into the lake. They block the access ways and this frustrates those who earn livelihood from traditional fishing. Again, the other thing is about fish feed that is being used in the lake. We are not sure of the effect of the quality of the fish feed on the environment and on the lake and local fish that is breeding there. So, these are things that need to be addressed. We need regulation through a legal framework. We also want to know what should be the distance between one cage and another. We should not just leave it haphazardly. In fact, there is a place in my constituency where one of the fish farmers has employed some very good vijana from Maasailand. They have arrows and bows. If you move anywhere close to the cages, you can easily lose your life. Because there is no regulation, these people operate with impunity. We need to have clear regulations and policies on how cage farming should be done. It is something we cannot avoid. There is one of the farms in my constituency called Victory Farm. Much as the locals complain about it, it has created employment for about 400 people. It produces not less than 2,000 tonnes of fish. It has even lowered the price of fish, which was escalating. So, there are benefits but there are also disadvantages. If we can harmonise these issues and make sure that there is smooth operation, the local community appreciates these fish farmers. We will go a long way to producing more and more fish. Fish has been found to be one of the best foods that we have around. In fact, the recent research has found out that fish can be very useful in reducing the impact of cancer. I want to encourage those who still fear eating fish, those who see it as snakes, they are not snake. Those are really delicious foods and meals. I want to urge Hon. Kioni, because he comes from an area where they still fear eating fish, that this is very delicious food. You need to eat more of it because it is healthy. Stop eating too much beef because it is very harmful to our health. Diversify and move to eating fish. I hope Hon. Kioni will take that wise counsel seriously. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I support."
}