E nvironmental Legislation Review Kiribati USP Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data Pulea, Mere Environmental legislation review - Kiribati : 1993 lprepared by Mere Pulea and David Farrier. {Apia, Western Samoa: SPREP, 1994] p, xviii, 97 :29 cm "Report for the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme and the Republic of Kiribati produced as documentation in support of the KiribatiNational Env ironmenta I Management Strategy (NEMS) with financial assistance from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)." ISBN 982-04-0078-3 l. Environmentalpolicy - Kiribati 2. Environmental law - Kiribati 3. Conservation of natural resources - Kiribati I. Farrier, D. II. South Pacific Regional Environment Programme III.Title HC79.E5P84 344.046',025'099681 Editorial assistant Betty-Lynne Mantell Cover design by Peter Evans based on an original design by Catherine Appleton. Maps supplied by MAPgraphics, Brisbane, Australia- Illustrative material cannot be reproduced without permission of the artist. Printed on I l0 gsm Tudor R.P. (100% recycled) by ABC Printing, Brisbane, Australia. Prepared for publication by the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, Api4 Western Samoa. @ South Pacific Regional Environment Programme,1994 The South Pacific Regional Environment Programme authorises the reproduction of textual material, whole or part, in any form, provided appropriate acknowledgement is given. Environmental Legislution Review - Kiribati 1993 prepared 6g Pulea and Dn'vid Fawtar Eepartfor the South Pac;!fu Regtowrl Eniiron:meat ProgtAn*ne andthe RepahliE of Kiribaii produted w doearynta-tion in sapport of thc Kirtbiltt Nortonal Emviroatnental lblanryntafi .$tra&gt (nngn4l$) with ftnanclal asslbtop gfram the ,United Nafrsns Da,elbporent ProErsmn e (UI{:frP) : 4, ro sE e: , 5g*A' .EE =-tE ;v E. * d* i iP" o9. *E J ,l i ,.tr G E5- l! o " o vla -of eE E 22. te/'.|F t41: E EE=9 1 =J6 e ,! 'r. ag € {l',/ '= z ud .cF J ,tr E'r q P Y o \4 (.) l z .:- { d. <t1 - U q.) F- 3o & ;iOE z d? 6 E .z bo VS .g i:v{ :Z s s I o z Or, i* U elr \J a IE '6C>o f;fE roN E::+" ,-il.c \J ts6 g$5 6 s otl llu !c o otl z , -fl iZ,-U I E l .a $'gi p@"L ; lll =E J= R 9.E =dl z G 600 (l E_ll- - ll F: Ee[ v r E€ H &d =l aur-l arBc lBuoDEuJarul :;*I:*. t;.E 7 &u !! z_ g= rE Hg4# rE E s7 ".i< ,E Itq i ;gFi=f r!; bE E q F gbB :"i Eli :;: FF JE 6; HnF d 1L 3=i . ou.Y 1'J4E =.! Eiii Ei* L Fz it irA F od f3!;!f TEsn a3 'tr co (, Y EFi; EE :;IE rrt! c o -2 '8 .g <A Il !€;;E: iFET 2? ot <d ( o >-_ z E c FrEi€ sit; Foreword This Environmental Legislation Review for Kiribati has been produced as an important component of the National Environmental Management Strategies OIEMS) Project. The NEMS Project has been developed to address sustainable environmental development and planning issues in a number of Pacific island countries. It was funded by the United Nations Development Programme (LTNDP) and irnplemented through the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) as part of a broader UNDP assistance project called PMI: Planning and Implementation of Pacific Regional Environment Programme which concentrates on regional and in-country institutional strengthening and training of environmental managers. Pacific Islanders have lived in close harmony with their island environment fbr thousands of years and are well aware of its importance to their way of life. Pacific peoples today face the complex challenge, common to many other countries of the world, of integrating economic development with the need to protect the environment. This is the prirnary aim of sustainable development and must be addressed if the Pacific way of life is to survive. The introduction of appropriate legislation represents one important means by which sustainable development can be achieved in the Pacific. A fundamental first step is the identification and review of existing environmental larvs. taking into account also traditional customary measures aimed at environmental protection. The review also investigates administrative procedures and policy to determine ways of incorporating and strengthening environmental laws within the existing structure in each of the Pacific lsland countries associated with this project. The Environmental Legislation Revier.v of Kiribati looks at laws, administrative procedures and policy in terms of their ef'fectiveness in addressing the major environmental issues existing in Kiribati. The research has had a particular focus on the development of practical recommendations that build on the findings of the review. This review thus represents an important step along the road to improved environmental management and protection of the Pacific region. This document fbrms one part of a series o1'legal reviews undertaken in several Paciflc island countries. I would like to thank Ms Mere Pulea and Professor David Farrier for their work in preparing this Environmental Legislation Review. A. Fuavao rector South Pacific Regional Environment Programme Contents Map of Kiribati lv Foreword v Acronyms and glossary x Chapter authorship xi Acknowledgements xii Recommendations xv I Introducfion I l.l Overview I 1.2 Sustainabledevelopment I 1.3 Review scope 2 1.4 Role of law 3 L5 Review process 4 2 Constitutionalandadministrativestructure 6 2.1 Legislation 6 2.2 Fundamental rights and freedoms 6 2.3 Powers of Local Councils 8 2.4 Administrative responsibility forenvironmental matters I 2.4.I Environment Unit 9 2.4.2 Role of other agencies l0 2.5 Conclusion l0 3 International environmental conventions t2 3.1 Introduction t2 3.2 Atmosphere l2 3.2.1 Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, Vienna, 22March 1 985 t2 3.2.2 Convention on Climate Change, Rio de Janeiro, 9 May 1992 13 3.3 Marine environment t4 3.3.1 Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter (London Dumping Convention), L972 t4 3.3.2 Convention for the Prohibition of Fishing with Long Driftnets in the South Pacific, Wellington, 24 November 1989 l4 3.3.3 South Pacific Forum Fisheries Agency Convention,1979 l4 3.4 Nuclear l5 3.4.1 South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, Rarotonga, 1985 l5 4 Land tenure l6 4.1 Introduction 16 4.2 Alienation of native land t7 4.3 Restrictions on the alienation of non-native land t7 4.4 Title to native land t7 vl 4.5 Lands Code 18 4.6 Courmunally ov*ned latrd 18 4.7 Multiple ownership of land 19 4.8 Distribution of land l9 4.8"1 Gifts inter vivos 19 4.8,,2 Gift for nrusing 20 4.8.3 Gift forwet-nuning 2A: 4.8.4 Gift for kindness 2A: 4,.8.5 Distribution ofproperty of absentse owner 21 4,"9 Negleeted lands 2,1 4.10 Ekchangeof'prop-erty, 23, 4.[,] Sale ofBropelty 23 4.'12 Inprovements 24 4.13 Natrualaccretions 24 4..14 Landowner's ta:t 24 4,15 House plots 25 4.16 Land boundaries 25: 4,I7 I€ases 2;6 4.18 Nadve leases 76 4.19 Untawfuloccupation 27 4,.20 Conelusion 77 5 Phycieal planntng and assessment 28 5,1 Irtttoduction 28 5:.2 Statutorybackground 29 5.3 Flanningauthorifies 29 5,3.1 Central Land Flaqning Board 30 5.3.2 Local Land Flanning Boards 30 5.4 'General Land Use Flan 30 5,5 Publis sorutiny 30 5.6 Approval 3l 5.7 Detailed Land Use Plan 3l 5.8 Pubtic scrutiny of de,tailcd plans 3I 5.9 Amendments 3',2 5.10 Sub-etitution of new General Land Uso Plan 32 5.1 I Development in desi"gnated aleas JL 5,12 Developmentapplioations 33 5.13 Appeals 33 5.14 Period of vatidity of,permission 34 5.15 Non-conforming land uses 34 5.16 Discontinuance of de.veloprnent 34 5.17 Regulations 34 5;[8 Land useplamning by local government 35 5.19 Building o6ntra^[ 35 a1 5,2fr Public roads JI 5.21 Controls over the liltoral zone 38 5.n eonclusion 38 vll 5.23 Recommendations 39 6 Agriculture 4l 6.1 Intoduction 4l 6.2 Statutory background 42 6.3 Neglected lands 42 6.4 Plant protection 43 6.4.1 Control of plant importation 43 6.4.2 Restrictions on importation 43 6.4.3 Disease infected areas 44 6.5 The control of pesticides 45 6.6 Importation of animals 45 6.7 Goats 46 6.8 Provisions under Council byeJaws 46 6.9 Conclusion and recommendations 47 7 Marine zone 48 7.1 Extentofjurisdiction 48 7.2 Extraction and reclamation 49 7.3 Conclusion 5l 8 Fisheries 52 8.1 Introduction 52 8.2 Local fishing 53 8.3 Foreign fishing vessels 55 8.4 Multilateral Treaty with the United States 56 8.5 Fish processing 57 8.6 Mariculture 57 8.7 Conclusion 58 9 Mining and minerals 59 9.1 Introduction 59 9.2 Statutory background 60 9.3 Acquisition of mineral rights 60 9.4 Reconnaissancelicences 60 9.5 Prospectinglicence 6l 9.6 Mining licence 62 9.7 Consideration of application for a mining licence 62 9.8 Mineral rights and surface rights 62 9.9 Compensation 63 9.10 Suspension and cancellation 63 9.1I Regulations 64 9.12 Sand mining 64 9.13 Conclusionandrecommendations 64 10 Water quantity and quality 6 10.1 Introduction 66 vlll 10.2 Freshwatersouroes 66 10.3 Water supply 67 10.4 Freshwaterguality 68 10,5 Sewerags 69 10.6 Conclusion 7A 11 Pollution and rvaste rnanagem.ent 72 I l.l Introduction 72 Il-Z Marine pollution 73 11.3 Pollution in harbours and ports 't3 11.5 Prevernling pollution from ships 't3.