Sep ey ey ee TEI cari Chu i "ie ? Bo dhe‘4 Ae icp les La r FT del re ek bk Aisa NRE 17.. In studying the Taongi proposal, consideration has been given to possible effects on tuna fishing, contamination of ocean waters and bird life. a. The Japanese fishing records for the period from May 1953 to September 1954 disclose that there was no fishing in the area about Taongi. The greatest fishing intensity was a few degrees. north of the equator. Fish- ing boats in transit to the fishing area grounds may gecasionally pass near Taongi. However, this would certainly present no greater difficulty than during REDWING since Taongi lies well within the danger area which itself presents the greatest interference with transient shipping. b. Fallout into the ocean from tests at Taongi would be expected to be into the same general part of the North Equatorial system as fallout from the Eniwetok Test Site. The flow of the North Equatorial current at these lati- tudes is westward, but it is possible that fallout from either test site may temporarily become part of a local eddy system. The likelihood of tunas entering water contaminated by fallout is no greater, and probably less, for Taongi than for the Eniwetok Test Site, as Taongi, being north of Eniwetok, is farther removed from the area in which tuna are most abundant. ec. There is an enormous number of sea birds at Taongi which the Marshallese, in the past, considered to be a bird reserve. Bikar Atoll and Jemo Island, 150 and 275 miles to the south, respectively, were also bird reserves, From the literature it is Imown that sooty terns, wedgetailed shearwaters, and frigate birds are present in great numbers, but it is not Imown if this atoll is used as the exclusive rookery for any one species. If the amount of guano is an indication, the evidence would indicate that this atoll is not an imvortant rookery, as FPosberg writes". . . guano was so scarce it was difficult to get a proper sample for analysis." The information about the birds present throughout the year probably is not available in the literature because, other than the annual visit by the Marshallese and the occupation by the Japanese during World War II, only on a few occasions and for short periods have visitors set foot on the atoll, Parties by Cameron in 1893, Immer in 1896, and Fosberg in 1952 are the only known white people to have been on Taongi (Pokak Atoll). In conclusion it can be said that the use of Taongi as a test site-would probably have no greater effect upon the Japanese tuna fleet or contamination of the ocean than the use of EniwetokBikini. A great many birds would be killed at Taongi but there is not sufficient information in the literature to determine if this may mean the extinction of a species. - 16 ~ Appendix "a" COR SUESATS = ee ad iis an 7 * Pga LISS IE Rav if B wor