Report by Dr. John ©. idwher
Director, Division of
arch 31, 195)
logy and Medicine
tomy
Q
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LEPCTS OF PACIFIC TESTO ON COMMERCIAL TUNA FISHING
The purpose of this memorandum is to review the recent events in the Pacific
related to the provlems of the marketing of tuna fish, and ea statement of our
current activities with respect to this subject.
While the Commission nas for seven years conducted researci: on the effects
of the Hanford operations on the salmon of the Columbia River and has
sponsored recurring surveys of the effects of nuclear detonations on the
marine biological balance of both dikini and Eniwetok atolls, it appeared
that, with the impending tests of large yield weapons in the Pacific when
the thermonuclear program was advanced sufficiently to indicate that such
weapons were possible, an expansion of our imowledge of marine biology was
needed. Since the food supplies of large populations, both in Asia and
North America as well as the islands of the Pacific, are derived from the
sea, any significant radiological contamination of any portion of thase food
chains would be of serious concern to uBe
Therefore, prior to Operation CaiTLi I initiated an expansion in the amount of
marine biological studies which would be conducted ocrior to the test as well
as after the conclusion of operations.
A plan for the establishment of a
Marine Jological Station on Eniwetok was presented to the Advisory Committee
for Biology and edicine and was recommended by them on March 14, 1953.
Construction of this small laboratory was berun after the completion of
Operation IVY and is now in existence and being actively utilized for the
marine work during the current test series. The purpose of this station is
te permit marine biologists from universities, after proper clearance, to
make use of the facilities at :niwetok for the conduct of marine studies of
all Kinds that are especiailiy pertinent to the biological pattern of the
atoll. This should add substantially to the reneral knowledge of the fauna
of this area, and in particular should jive us quantitative information
which wiil be invaluable in years to come.
At the same time, a general increase in emphasise on marine studies was begun
witn specific reference to the uptake of fission preducts by plankton,
shellfish, and other portions of the human food supply from the sea. This
has been conducted at various marine research centers such as woods Hole,
the University of Vashinzton at Seattle, the liniversity of Hawaii, and the
University of North Carolina. Steps have veen taken with the Smithsonian
Institution to conduct certain related studies in both fresh and salt water
marine problews at the only tropical biological station possessed by the
United states - that at sgarro Colorado Island in the Canal Zone.