Ten years after Pacific salmon were first given
federal protection under the Endangered Species Act, the fish are
still swimming in pesticide-laced water, and the Environmental
Protection Agency is ignoring the problem, says a report recently
issued by the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides
and the Washington Toxics Coalition.
Besides
directly killing the fish, pesticides can impair swimming ability,
disrupt reproduction, and eradicate food sources such as insect
larvae, says the report. The two coalitions, along with the Pacific
Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations and the Institute for
Fisheries Resources, are suing the agency for disregarding its
legal responsibilities under the Endangered Species Act by failing
to consult with the National Marine Fisheries Service about
pesticides that could harm salmon.
Erika
Schreder, staff scientist for the Washington Toxics Coalition, says
they want to force the EPA to undergo a complete consultation
process and, most importantly, follow up with action.
The report recommends that the EPA phase out
harmful pesticides, establish pesticide water-quality criteria to
protect both fish and people, and use their pesticide registration
process to make sure that those levels are not
exceeded.
For a copy of Poisoned Waters:
Pesticide Contamination of Waters and Solutions to Protect Pacific
Salmon, visit www.watoxics.org or call 206/632-1545, ext.
12, for a $6 print version.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Salmon poison.
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