Honorable Richard M. Page 4 May 4, Nixon 1973 There is no lagoon, and an atoll, and is fringed with a reef. all shipping from heavy winds and tides isolate the island from November until March or April of each year. Kili Island is almost devoid of marine resoureces. The absence of a lagoon completely eliminates the type of fishing to which the Bikinians were accustomed. Surf and sea conditions at Kili prohibit the use of sailing, sea going canoes once used on Bikini, and these have fallen into disrepair. The fringing surf prevents any vessel of size from approaching closer than several hundred yards from Kili. Off-loadiny of supplies is often imposThe Sible, and when possible, it is both dangerous and costly. reef itself is dense and homegcneous and does not support lobsters, other mollusks, or varietics of recf fish. For a fishing people accumstomed to an atoll, Kili is a prison; the reef an? surf isolates them and prevents access to the even limited marine resources available beyond the fringing reer. Kili had been a copra plantation during Japanese and times, and most of the arable land was planted in coconuts. German When the Bikinians arrive in 1948, there were only a few pandanu:: and breadfruit trees, and none of the hardwood trees found on Bikini for use in house and canoc construction. Kill has agricultural potential, but for a marine-orientated people, accustomed to fishing and unaccustomed to tilling soil and cutting brush on Kili, agriculture has never been either rewarding or successful. Life on Kili island has never been pleasant for the Bikini people. In the early years, and continuing to the present, the difficulties are too numerous to explain in detail. The heavy surf and sea conditions, plus fFrecuent local ship shortages, usually prevented more than four visits a ycar by a field trip vessels. Failure of the field trips meant that the copra that the Bikini people had produced was left to spoil or be eaten by rats. Failuse to pick up copra was strong disincentive to make it. Food ye Shortages were again common and the people became convinceca that Kili was another Rongerik. In 1949 and 1950 and again in 1°52 food shoctages occurred, severe enough so that in 1952 a ton of fous was air dropped to the people. "ven then, parachutes were not oa useeé, and the Food vas bro .On Snead rurned. The efforts at aegricul- care Cid not work erd produced Litt i le food. Tho Bikinianas w snip, a converted £PoORbLy-Took whotlebont, whien wv ne Be oy wieecked or . ron on the 434 Kill aye rect a my soon To ; alter t TE ery weds das anneal procured. kn Bip liasl. tq: La a Wie + taco Sioa fe 7 eg treyhy 9 4.-,3,7 Ve Vous Sates tal goveriaent . my - - s anleraaceon Poa be Habitable at any EMne dm tA e was - as eye ae . ta ner a7 ch ab : ey te = ae ore lee 4 te ay - syyel myry bdo ct atoll ay oar -7 see ‘ yy wou.d - woes 4} The developmont - Rate my Jo Com oi ty sy . Bikini fubure. 7 + Tnen ana pow SCTE p yd. ly Toe ae tre u y nar: ay POR ARCHIVES