The Government of Kiribati in the National Development Plan 1979-82 (See Objective 9 Chapter 1 p.10) stated that it would introduce measures \"to protect the environment from pollution and irresponsible commercial depredation ll. The desirability of the above objective stems from the very nature of our atoll environment which is ecologically delicate and can be susceptible to a host of other hazards. In addition, t~e lessons learned from Banaba provided a lasting reminder to the value of environmental policies for Kiribati, particularly with regards to rehabilitation.