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The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) consists of two island chains of 29 atolls and five low-elevation coral islands in the central Pacific. The total land area is only 70.05 square miles, with 4,506.87 square miles of lagoonal areas, and an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of over 750,000 square miles. The population level in the 1988 census was 43,380, and the average annual growth rate was 4.17 percent. The Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority (MIMRA) is the primary agency responsible for the exploration, exploitation, regulation and management of the living and non-living marine resources in the RMI. The National Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Marshall Islands Development Authority (MIDA), Kwajalein Atoll Development Authority (KADA), and the local atoll governments also play significant roles in the exploitation and regulation of the marine resources sector. The resolution of jurisdictional overlaps is urgently required to avoid potential management problems.