DOB ARCHIVES

Unfortunately,

the lack of a lagoon or protected anchorage

presents very serious problems to the inhabitants of Kili.

The

unfavorable axis of the island (063-240°) in relation to the
prevailing northeast trade winds and the shelving comparatively
narrow reef,

are factors which cause the island to be isolated

during many months of the year.

From December through March

the equatorial front lies to the south,
prevail.
able.

and northeasterly winds

Landing conditions are therefore generally unfavor-

From November into late March it is possible to get a

boat ashore only during a few very brief periods, because of
the large breakers which crash against the rocky beaches.
cannot be loaded and trade goods cannot be off-loaded.

Copra

These

unfavorable surf conditions naturally prevent utilization of
the important marine resources,

which at best are

infinitely

poorer than those of the atoil of Bikini.

The Resettlement on Kili
The ex-Bikini people apparently experienced difficulty in
adjusting to Kili from almost the very beginning.
in part to the different ecological conditions.

This was due
The change

from an atoll existance where marine resources were abundant
and the lagoon and land areas stretched away as far as the eye
could see,

to a small,

isolated island without a lagoon,

and

without the rich marine resources which are found in an atoll
environment,

was drastic.

This psychological attitude toward

Kili was and has continued to be a vital importance in the lack
of adjustment.

The refusal to accept the move to Kili as final

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