Speech by gouvernor Carl Decaluwé, president of the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), on the occasion of the official Commissioning of the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institutes’ RV Mtafiti vessel Mombasa, Kenya, 27th of January 2014 ‐
Your Excellency, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander in chief of the Kenyan Defense Forces, Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta ‐
Honorable Felix Kiptarrus Kosgey, Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Lifestock and Fisheries ‐
Honorable Prof. Micheni Ntiba, Principal Secretary for Fisheries. ‐
All State Secretaries present ‐
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All Principal Secretaries present … All protocol observed It is a great pleasure to be here with you today as representative of the Belgian federal government as well as of the Flemish regional government. Allow me to take you back in time, a little more than a year ago. On the 19th of October 2012, here in beautiful Mombasa, the Flanders Marine Institute and the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The institutes – having comparable missions and strategic goals ‐ recognized their common interest in developing mutual relations, and were convinced that partnership and collaboration contributes to scientific and cultural enrichment, to scientific progress, and to the consolidation of friendship between both our countries. The agreement promotes partnership in the following areas: 1. Development and execution of collaborative research projects between the marine and coastal science networks in Kenya and Flanders, Belgium. 2. Undertaking joint field work, research expeditions, experiments, monitoring and observation programmes. 3. Exchange of expertise and exchange of university, research and academic staff, technical experts and students. 4. Capacity building for research and technology development (including research vessels 1 and sampling equipment), data management, and education. 5. Exchange of data and information. 6. Jointly producing derived products from research, data and information, such as joint scientific publications, and communication and outreach products. An action plan to achieve these goals was drafted and agreed upon by both parties. This plan serves as a source of ideas for future collaboration and is revised and updated annually. I can assure you that significant progress has been made in all of these 6 domains since we signed in 2012. But the most spectacular idea – the donation of a research vessel, the reason why we are here today ‐ was not even mentioned in the Memorandum of Understanding or the action list. I remember it came up while we were brainstorming during the very pleasant and delicious seafood lunch we enjoyed after the signing ceremony. The Flanders Marine Institute had just commissioned a newly built coastal research vessel for North Sea work, the Simon Stevin. The research vessel Zeeleeuw thus became redundant and we coined the idea to donate it to Kenya in the framework of our new collaboration agreement. This was not a trivial exercise. There were exploratory missions by high‐level Kenyan delegations under the leadership of professor Ntiba; there were political, administrative and financial challenges in both countries; there was the issue of synchronizing processes and decisions in Belgium and Kenya, etcetera. The project we tackled was ambitious, unique and without precedent. It is therefore almost miraculous that, not even 16 months after the signing ceremony, we meet again for the commissioning of the thoroughly renovated research vessel Mtafiti, formerly known as Zeeleeuw. Allow me to pay tribute to the efficient action of both our teams on the Belgian and Kenyan side. Indeed, thanks to the enthusiasm and hard work of many, the handing over of the RV Zeeleeuw to the Republic of Kenya became a reality on the 3rd of May 2013. The RV Mtafiti was subjected to a thorough maintenance inspection at the IDP shipyard in Ostend, where it was officially seen off on 23 August 2013 during a memorable ceremony. A few days later, on 31 August 2013, the vessel peacefully departed from its homeport. With 29 crew members of the Kenya Navy on board the ship set sail for a 50‐day journey to cover a total distance of 7000 km to arrive in the Kenyan harbour city of Mombasa. This was most likely the longest journey of its lifetime…. I can assure you that the presence of many Kenyans in our harbour, in the city of Ostend, in my province during that long summer, as well as the farewell ceremonies and the friendships, is an episode that will be remembered for a long time. 2 But it was with pleasure and pride that we let the Zeeleeuw go. It was a good bye ... not a farewell, because it is my wish that many Belgian scientists who sailed and worked on the research vessel in the North Sea will spend many fruitful hours on the Mtafiti here on the Indian Ocean. The aforementioned Memorandum of Understanding provides an ‘umbrella’, under which all ongoing and new marine science collaborations can be clustered. This is a win win formula of cooperation between two equal partners allowing an increase of the profile and visibility of marine science in both countries and internationally. The Mtafiti can be the flagship of our collaboration. The fact that Belgium and Kenya joined forces results from a long tradition of cooperation in the field of marine sciences. In the framework of the 'Kenya‐Belgium Project in Marine Sciences' both countries worked together between 1985 and 1997, under the leadership of Professor Philip Polk from the Free University of Brussels. The project was a huge success and the scientific output was significant. Many Kenyans obtained a Master and/or PhD degree in Belgium and several Belgian students and professors in turn visited Kenya to undertake joint research activities with Kenyan counterparts. Several Belgian experts lived and worked in Mombasa for several years, side‐by‐side with the Kenyan colleagues. This did not only result in many scientific publications and in‐depth research, but also in a community of people that know, respect and trust each other up to this very day. Many of them now hold important functions at KMFRI, at the Flanders Marine Institute, at Flemish and Kenyan universities and ministries and in international oceanographic organisations. In the spirit of this long cooperation and relationship the handing over of the RV Zeeleeuw to Kenya was not a difficult decision. Ladies and gentlemen, I am very much looking forward to following the operations of the Mtafiti. I consider this to be a true win‐win operation for both parties, that will be a catalyst for joint research projects and will lead to useful exchanges of data, information, expertise, staff and – above all ‐ young people, the Kenyan and Belgian marine professionals of the future. I am convinced that the operations of the Mtafiti will be beneficial for Kenya and Belgium. The exploration and sustainable use of the natural resources of your Exclusive Economic Zone is a cornerstone for Kenya’s economic development and particularly the Coast region. Better knowledge of your fishing stocks will be most helpful in the growth of your fishing industry. Moreover, the Mtafiti holds a promise of Kenyan leadership for the entire, understudied Western Indian Ocean region and its lively research community in all East African nations. I’m also convinced that researchers from Europe and other continents will be keen to use the Kenyan vessel, the only platform of its kind in this vast region… Finally, I want to express my gratitude to the Kenyan authorities. I thank the Kenyan 3 government, its Fishery Ministry, the Kenya Navy and the Marine Institute for the efficient bilateral collaboration that lead to the success of this complicated, once‐in‐a‐lifetime project. Allow me, Mr President, to thank you as well for your personal interest and steadfast support for our project. I also thank the diplomats of both countries for their enthusiasm and hard work. A special word of thanks and congratulations for the captain and crew of the Kenyan Navy: their excellent seamanship brought the Mtafiti safely from Oostende on the cold European North Sea to its new home, the port Mombasa on the tropical East African shores. To the executive officers, the senior researchers and the aspiring marine scientists and marine science students of Kenya and Belgium, I say: congratulations with this research vessel. I wish the Mtafiti a long second life at the service of Kenyan, East‐African and international marine research. I’m convinced that the vessel will yield spectacular scientific results and significant contributions to Kenya’s ‘Blue Economy’. Thank you for your attention. Asanteni sana. 4