Chapter I Intro & Objectives - SPREP

PHOENIX ISLANDS PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN
Chapter III. Background, 2. Human Activities
Draft 1 March 2007
In 1978, there was no one living on Orona, but it was estimated that this island could support
400 people (Kiribati 1983).
In 1979, the USAF facility on Orona was closed (Garnett 1983b).
In 1979, the Treaty of Friendship signed between the United States and the Government of
Kiribati gave the U.S. Government the right to construct facilities, after consultations with the
Government of Kiribati on Abariringa (Canton), Enderbury, and Orona (Hull) (Trease 1993).
RAWAKI (PHOENIX)
In 1947, no one lived on Rawaki (Phoenix) (Bryan 1951; Freeman 1951; Pusinelli 1948).
There were no inhabitants on Rawaki (Phoenix) (Hydrographer of the Navy 1969).
In May and June 1973, an ecological survey was conducted on Abariringa (Canton), Birnie,
Enderbury, Manra (Sydney), Orona (Hull), and Rawaki (Phoenix) (Fosberg et al 1973). The
purpose of this survey was to report on the ecological impacts of SAMTEC operations, assess
the status of terrestrial ecology of islands visited, and to make recommendations to minimise
adverse ecological effects of SAMTEC operations.
G. POST INDEPENDENCE (1979 TO PRESENT)
In 1979, the 370 km (200 mile) exclusive economic zone around the Phoenix and Line
Islands was declared by Kiribati (Teiwaki 1988).
The eight Phoenix Islands lacked permanent populations (Bunge and Cooke 1984).
The 1979 Treaty of Friendship was to be reviewed after 5 years (Teiwaki 1988). Teiwaki
(1988) noted that the treaty provided no tangible benefits for Kiribati and that Kiribati was
denied the sovereignty of developing the Phoenix and Line Islands by the treaty.
Tuvalu requested the use of some of the uninhabited Phoenix Islands (Teiwaki 1988).
However, this request was not acted upon.
Another attempt would be made to settle the Phoenix Islands as three of the eight islands had
potential (Keith-Reid 1996).
In 1996, the Government of Kiribati offered a Kiribati passport for sale to investors
(primarily Chinese) (Crocombe 2001). The charge was USD 15,000 and the first year USD
2 million was earned. However, investors were charged USD 30,000 and surplus funds went
to the minister. The passport entitled the bearer to invest and live in the uninhabited Phoenix
Islands (Crocombe 2001). By 1999, none had taken up residence.
Surveys for manganese nodules had been completed in the Phoenix Islands in the 1980’s by
the Germans and Japanese (Glasby 2002). Global attempts to exploit these resources failed
due to a collapse of world metal prices, onerous provisions in the U.N. Convention on the
Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and overoptimistic assumptions regarding the viability of nodule
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