With respect to land tenure, historically, small islands featured hierarchies of land ownership rights from which social status was derived. Environmental regulations limiting land use and controlling access to natural resources have been challenged by landowners who interpret any attempt to limit land rights as a challenge to their social status. The involvement and support of traditional leaders in introducing sustainable development practices is also necessary. By the mid-1980s, the weakness of conventional sectoral planning in reaching sustainable solutions to conflicting demands for coastal resources was apparent.