In summary, the prospects for expanding agricultural production on Tamana, and probably most of the islands in the group, to supply urban markets is severely limited by the extreme nature of the dry atoll environments. Some scope probably exists for the expansion of saltfish production, but in the absence of adequate research on fish population dynamics, the possibility of overfishing must be constantly guarded against. The fact that fishing activities are already regulated by customary sanctions shows that concern already exists among the Tamana population for the careful hushanding and protection of fish
stocks vital to their existence. At present the stock of capital equipment is probably sufficient to meet the demands of expansion but in the long term sources of supply to replace the traditional avenues must be found. Sufficient labour is available to al l ow some expansion of fishing intensity without adverse l y affecting other aspects of subsistence and current cash earning, but outmigration of young men to Tarawa could alter this. The final decision to capitalise on opportunities will depend on the decisions of the individual, his weighing up of the benefits of increased monetary income against the value of leisure foregone. This decision can only be made against the wider value systems of society, the belief in equality and pressures against the accumulation of individual \vealth, and the utility of the money earned. The individual may evaluate the situation differently with different approaches to action. As an individual his assessment of the unpleasantness of work, his responsibilit y to others, the sort of money earned and the uses to which it can be put could be very different from his assessment as a member of a cooperative group. For this reason ventures involving mronron participation rather than individuals could prove more successful. Given the fluidity of household membership the workforce is probably more stable and predictable in the long term and thus provides a more sound basis for planning long term production. Mronrons are recent and their cooperative basis makes their income raising goals acceptable and exempt from the normal responsibilities of individuals. They also pr otect members from their own laziness. Above all the mronron aggregates cash into large units not considered attainable by individuals working alone and large units of money have a utility far more valued than small quantities of money. If production of saltfish could be organised on a mronron basis importers or the Co-operative Federation on Tarawa would have fewer individuals to deal with the possibility of allotting quotas for the supply of specified lots of fish is also present and the incentive to produce is reinforced by group action and responsibility.