one See -_ a ‘= . a 7 the reaction of the informed American public to the possibili-= ties of contamination of tuna it is not surprising that the Japan-- ese were stampeded into apprehension over the immediate prospects of their eating radioactive tuna and the long-range Pros” pects of their fishing grounds peing ruined, (A) Tuna Fishing Industry of Japan L/ ; : ee The Japanese fishing fleet at the present time consists of about 1,000 vessels operating out-of ten major ports, nual value of the tuna catch approximates $26 million, cipal export species is albacor, The an-_ The prin- ~ Sixty percent of the landed - albacor catch went to Japanese canners and forty percent was shipped abroad in freezers. Sixty percent of the albacor are caught in the summer season which extends from May through July,Luring this’ season, the fishing grounds are located relatively . close to the Asiatic coast, . a ; , ~ During the winter months, January through March, the Japan- ese vessels range far out to sea, The winter season accounts for forty percent of the annual catch. Te os (B) Contaminated Tuna in Japan ° oe The Fukuryu Maru landed at Yaizu with a catch of 28,000 : pounds of tuna, We must accept the fact that these tuna were!” . excessively contaminated and that the decision of the Japanese -° . ..to dispose of these fish was a wise one. There is reason to be- ~ lieve that contamination was confined to the surface of the: fish and occurred when the radioactive ashes fell. and entered’ See the ship's hold, t With the decision of the United States Food and Drug ‘Aaministration to monitor incoming shipments of tuna, the shipping companies operating out of Japan initiated a requirement that she Japanese certify export shipments as being free of radio- ‘ a ctivity. ~ When I arrived in Japan on March 22, the Japanese had al—" ready monitored their first outgoing shipment of frozen tuna,. . The Ministry of Welfare undertook to have its sanitation inspec~ tors trained in the use of geiger counters and began the routine inspection of both incoming and outgoing tuna at five ports, 41] vessels were instructed to return to one of these ports. Tive geiger counters were obtained from the Far East Command and lcaned to the Japanese. In addition, they mustered approxt- , mately the same number from various sources in Japan. : On March 24, at a conference with the Japanese Government’ officials, they asked for my recommendation for maximum permissible — contamination. They also asked that I recommend the kind of examina~ tion that should be made of the fish, Because of my unfamiliarity with the mechanical details of handling tuna shipments, I suggested that I be permitted to study tuna loading operations scheduled for the following day, There- upon it was arranged that I should accompany Japenese officials to_ Yokohama where the Batan was being loaded with frozen albacor. wl L/ An excellent report of technical information about the Japanese - tuna fisheries in Japan is Report No. 104 issuedaby the Natural Resources Section of SCAP inMarch 1948, a