Marine Atlas: Maximizing Benefits for Kiribati

A LARGE OCEAN STATE: ADMINISTRATION

Kiribati’s ocean provides a wealth of services to the people of Kiribati, and beyond. The ocean and its resources govern daily life, livelihoods, food security, culture, economy and climate.

Kiribati has one of the largest EEZs in the world at 3.5 million km2 and heavily relies on ocean resources for its revenue and the well-being of its people. During the United Nations Ocean Conference in June 2017, the minister responsible for fisheries, Mr Tetabo Nakara, stated, “...Kiribati, often referred to as a Small Island Developing

State, is actually a huge Ocean State with the second largest EEZ in the Pacific Ocean, 3.5 million square kilometres; the same size as India… The extent of our ma- rine resources are delineated by maritime boundary, which provides long-term securi- ty, rights and status for my country…”.

Taari and marawa, which translate as “broth- erhood” and “deep”, are the terms the early I-Kiribati people used to refer to the sea— evidence of the strong connection the they felt to the sea. The islands of Kiribati were settled around 4,000 to 5,000 years ago. Prior to colonial times, customary tenure determined how land and marine areas were allocated and therefore determined people’s access to nat- ural resources (Lambert, 1987). Each kainga (family unit) was allocated plots of land and areas for fishing and thus had exclusive rights to fish and incentives to manage the fisher- ies within their designated area. During the colonization of Kiribati by the British Empire, the customary marine tenure was changed, which unfortunately, in many cases, led to the “tragedy of the commons” depleting marine resources. Only in 1979, when Kiribati gained independence, could the people of Kiribati govern and make decisions themselves through a democratic form of government, including governance of the resources in their vast exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The government comprises the President (both Head of State and Government), Vice-President and a Cabinet of appointed ministers who are elected into the Legislative House of Assembly. There are a number of domestic laws, regula- tions and policies that govern the management and use of marine resources through different government line ministries. The Ministry of

Fisheries and Marine Resources Development is responsible for the development of marine resources, while some elements of resource management are shared with the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agriculture Devel- opment. The hierarchy of authorities involved in marine resource management in Kiribati is depicted in the graphic below.

President

Vice President

Cabinet

Sec to Cabinet

Development Coordinating Committee

O ce of Beretitenti (President)

Kiribati Police Service (Maritime Unit)

Kiribati Nat. Expert Group on Climate Changes & DRM

Ministry of Communication, Transport & Tourism Dev.

Ministry of Finance and Economic Development

Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources Development

Ministry of Environments, Lands and Agriculture Development

Ministry of Line and Phoenix Islands Development

Ministry of Internal A airs

Ministry of Health and Medical Services

Ministry of Justice

O ce of Attorney General

Local Government Division

Environmental Health Unit

PIPA Mgt Committee/PIPA Trust, Board Task Force to review revenue losses from PIPA PIPA Implementation O ce & Trust

Kiribati MPA Committee

KDP Sector Group

Development Committee

Marine Pollution Advisory Com

Special rights

Island Councils (23)

Fisheries Division (Coastal & Aquaculture) Fisheries Licensing & Enforcement Unit Policy and Development Division

National Infrastructure Steering Com National Economic Planning O ce

Tourism Community - based committee

Marine Division

An exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is a sea zone that extends up to 200 nautical miles (nmi) from a country’s baseline. Kiribati’s EEZ, prescribed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), gives Kiribati sovereign rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources below the surface of the sea. The territorial sea, within 12 nmi from the baseline, is regarded as the sovereign territory of Kiribati, in which it has full authority.

Kiribati National Tourism O ce

Linnix O ce

Kiribati National Statistics O ce

Foreshore Committee

Kiribati GIS User Group

Lands Mgt Division

Deep Sea Mining Committee

National Biodiversity Planning Committee

Geology & Coastal Mgt Division

Environment & Conservation Division

MAXIMIZING BENEFITS FOR KIRIBATI • MARINE ATLAS

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