Mee ge “ cee 408354 UNIV AccTY Os RAWAT WAVTITIT TOSS ic“han aA! wahee - RQ Deparunent of Zoslogy nmRNY August 13, ada & 1968 ™ Mr. Stewart L:. Udail Secretary of the [Interior Government of the United States of America Washington, D. C. Dear Secretary: Udall: The enclosed article in this evening's Honolulu Star-Bulletin haS Stimulated me to write this letier to you. I am sencing copies of this letter to Dr. Donald C. Matthews of this University anc Dr. Edward FE. ileld of the Radiation Laboratory, University of wacnington, Seattle, who like wyself have been interested in the biology of the coconut <rab for many years. J feel it is correct to Say tnat between the three of us we know more about the biology of coconut crabs than any.other group of persons in the world. JI em also sending a copy of this letter to Dr. F. Reymond FPosberpg of the Atoll Research Poard, of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C. I do not believe that it is ras to exterminate tne lation of Coconut crabs on Bikini Atoll. Jn the first piece, program would be very cifficult to “cerry out effectively becaus the crabs molt they remain buried beneath the ground for peri long aS a month and possibly longer in the case of large crab the extermination program would have to be carried out for ma to be effective. To ceny the Bikini Islanders access to thei while this difficult, wasteful, unnecessary and expensive procran being carricd out certainly does not make sense. oO ry Even more aiSturbing to me is the idea of destroying an imp WW Source of food in the atoli ecosystem. AS it is these [sland lead difficuit lives witn food levels frequently barely meetin sistance necas of the community. I believe that oaly the larger, older crabs are racioace; is because they were exposscd to the early high levels of radi the radio strontium has been maintained in their bodies beca eat their old exoskeletohs at each molt. Younger animats ree ‘ we ii |2 es into the»population siftce the Atomic testing ee at Bikini snou net be radioactive. ae “A %: * , . br. licid has published figurcs indicating e BEST COPY AVAILABLE