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ment of this incident are being handled through the Department of
State and the American Embassy in Tokyo. In this connection Ambassador Allison informed the Japanese Government that the United
States would pay just compensation and also would reimburse the
injured fishermen for reasonable’ expenses for current medical care and
family relief, including wages.
Reports on Contaminated Tuna Fish
Fish aboard the Fukuryu Maru were reported by the Japanese press
to be grossly contaminated with radioactive materials. Quantitative
data on the degree of contamination are few. It appears probable
that observed contamination consisted largely of radioactive materials
on the exterior surfaces of the fish from contact with fall-out material
on the ship. United States representatives in Japan were not afforded
an opportunity to verify the fact or the degree of radioactivity
reported for this or later for other cargoes.
Subsequent to the return of the Fukuryu Maru, a numberof other
Japanese fishing vessels and their cargo were reported to involve
sufficient radioactivity to require destruction of the fish. In one
instance a single specimen fish was madeavailable for study. Analysis
of this specimen at an AEC laboratory showed the radioactivity of the
edible portions to be well within acceptable limits for food and water
for continuous use by humans.
The amountof activity in Bikini and Eniwetok lagoons would make
it unwise to eat fish from these areas, at least for the present, without
having them. monitored prior to human consumption.
Information
presently available indicates that the fish in the lagoons of Rongelap,
Rongerik, and Utirik are suitable for consumption. The activity in
the lagoons other than Bikini and Eniwetok and in the open sea is so
small that no deleterious effects may be expected to the fish themselves nor will the edibility of the fish be impaired.
Informedsciéntific opinion, borne out by recent continuous monitoring by the Federal Food and Drug Administration of tuna fish
coming to the west coast from the Pacific fishing grounds, and further
supported by several years’ results of AEC marinebiological studies,
provides no basis for alarm as to the consumption of tuna caughtiin
the Pacific.
,
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Fall-out in the United States
Following nuclear detonations, radioactive debris is distributed by
normal air currents over large areas and with sufficiently sensitive
instruments may be foundto encircle the globe. Small amounts were