Zz UNCLASSIFIED (1) Contaminated Tuna, Li’ _ (2) Apprehension of long-range contamination of Japan and its fish- (3) Radiological factors affecting the fishermen: ing grounds, (a) Estimating the whole body duse, (bo) Estimated dcse from internal emitters. Contaminated Tuna Some of the Japanese Government officials are already referring to the latter half of March as the "great tuna panic". The origin of this panic both in the United States and Japan is worthy of careful study. the extent of the tuna consumption in the United States and Japan declined during the second half of March is now known to me at this time. For a day prior to my departure from New York on March 19, and for 2 weeks following my arrival in Tokyo on March 22 the subject of radioactive tuna wes subject of popular conversation. When one considers the reaction of the informed American public to the possibilites of contamination of tuna it is not surprising that the Japanese were stampeded into appre- hension over the immediate prospects of their eating radioactive tuna and the long-range prospects of their fishing grounds being ruined. Frmee (4) Tuna Fishing Industry ef Japan L/ The Japanese fishing fleet at the present time consists of about 1,000 vessels operating out of ten major ports. The annual value of the tuna catch approximates $26 million. The principal export species is Albacor. 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. During this season, the fishing grounds are located relatively cluse to the Asiatic coast. During the winter months, January through March, the Japanese vessels range far out to sea, The winter seesen accounts for forty percent of the annual catch, (B) tuna. Contaminated Tuna in Japan The Fukuryu Maru landed at Yaizu with a catch of 28,000 pounds of We must accept the fact that these tuna were excessively con- taminated and that the decision of the Japanese to dispose of those Le An excellent report of technical information about the Japanese Tuna fisheries in Japan is report No. 104 issued by the Natural Re- sources Section of SCAP in March, 198. P: ay, Li UNCLASSIFIED