00:00Today's date, the 23rd of April, would have been the young lady's 8th birthday.
00:07So we are actually sitting on a day when this child and her parents should have been celebrating the 8th
00:17birthday.
00:19They should have been celebrating. In fact, this was their pre-birthday celebration.
00:23The bill focuses on establishing a legislative framework for the protection, management and sustainable use of Tobago's marine parks,
00:33safeguarding biodiversity while supporting future generations.
00:37A fine of $100,000 and jail time is on the books.
00:42Mr. Augustine said in about three weeks' time, the bill should make its way to Parliament.
00:47To your own PNM, people refuse to handle it. And I want to advise this House that after consultation with
00:53the Attorney General and the Prime Minister,
00:56I was given the undertaking that once this is passed and sent down to the Parliament,
01:01that in the space of two to three weeks, this bill will make its way into the Parliament and will
01:09be addressed by the National Parliament.
01:22Augustine called out the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service for their lack of action in ensuring regulations are adhered to
01:30at the Bucca Reef Marine Park.
01:32As a week following the jet ski death of Angelica Jogi, jet ski operators were observed in the bathing zone.
01:39It would appear as though, the TTPS refuses, refuses to engage those who are trespassing.
01:52Refuses to engage.
01:55And it's at this juncture I want to say that should anybody wish to sue the THA over any incident
02:04there,
02:04my instruction to all lawyers will be to go to court and ask that they sue the Attorney General and
02:11the central government.
02:12Augustine also called out former Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley for the Marine Bill languishing under the previous PNM government.
02:20I heard the former, former Prime Minister talking about banning all jet skis in the area, yet the 2020 bill
02:28went to his cabinet.
02:30His cabinet, a PNM, a PNM THA sent it to a PNM government in 2020 and you wait until he
02:41is political person and non-grata when nobody cares about his political opinion
02:46and he has absolutely no authority to talk about banning use of jet skis in his space.
02:51According to the Tobago Marine Park Bill, under the inspectors and enforcement provisions,
02:58a person who assaults, obstructs, restricts or interferes with an inspector in the execution of his duty
03:06or who declines to facilitate an inspector commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of
03:25$100,000
03:26and imprisonment for a term of 12 months.
03:30Elizabeth Williams, TV6 News.
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