Republic of the Marshall Islands : national environment management strategy : Part A & B (NEMS)

Abstract

While the Republic's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) encompasses over 750,000 square miles of the central Pacific Ocean, its land area totals less than 70 square miles—a ratio of land to water of less than I to 10.000. Understandably, the Republic's natural resources are primarily marine. The nation'sabundant and extremely biodiverse coral reefs provide habitat for robust populations of fish and other marine life, which support subsistence and incipient commercial reef fisheries. The extensive pelagic fishery that is part of a regional fishing industry may be reaching optimium sustainable production. No endemic species of terres- trial flora or fauna are known, and no endemic aquatic species have yet been identified, but the Marshall Islands offer important natural sanctuaries to several endangered mammals, birds, and turtles.