SESSION IV
207
UPTOM: Were the fish levels higher inthe Rongelap area than in
the area to which the natives had been evacuated?
DONALDSON:
CONARD:
Yes.
There was no fallout down at Majuro,.
They were ina relatively clean area.
at Majuro, 400 miles to the south.
They were down
UPTON: The fish then continued to be more active in the Rongelap area over the passage of years?
CONARD:
Right.
That was a 3-year period up until their return,
UPTON: Yes.
CONARD: And the fish were still quite active with zinc-65.
UPTON:
These are marine fish?
CONARD: Yea.
DONALDSON:
UPTON:
There's no fresh water.
The lagoon is a marine lagoon?
CONARD: Yes. It's salt water.
FREMONT-SMITH: These are fish that stay in the lagoon.
were not going in and out of the ocean?
They
DONALDSON: Both populations exist there, The people eat the
fish that live in the lagoon and also tuna fish and other open-ocean
types of fish.
FREMONT-SMITH: Which were the ones that were primarily
responsible for the increased body burden, do you know?
CONARD:
I really don't.
They ate all kinds of fish.
FREMONT-SMITH: I mean do you presume that the ocean fish in
that area still carried the heavy. ..
CONARD:
Lauren, it was probably lagoon fish, wasn't it?