=====================================
P A N U P S
***
Pesticide Action Network
North America
Updates Service
=====================================
Pesticides Threaten Pacific Coho Salmon
January 26, 1995
Pesticides are contaminating Pacific coho salmon habitat
and threatening populations of this species, according
to "Toxic Water," released in December 1994, by the
Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides
(NCAP). The report calls for restoration plans to
protect coho habitat, which includes Oregon, Washington,
Northern California and parts of Idaho, from
agricultural and non-agricultural pesticide pollution.
Much of the evidence presented in "Toxic Water" is drawn
from research experiments and monitoring of pesticides
used in forestry; however, the authors state that
agricultural and urban and suburban pesticide uses must
be considered since these uses also contaminate
watersheds for coho habitat.
The report points out that currently adequate and
appropriate testing for pesticide residues in coho
habitat is not conducted in the Northwest. For example,
some water sampling by regulatory agencies is conducted
at times and in such a way that residue levels are not
recorded, thereby skewing the evidence. A study of water
sampling in California clearly shows that more pesticide
residues enter surface waters during significant storm
runoff, rather than immediately following pesticide
treatment. Another major problem, according to the
report, is the lack of information about pesticides used
in watersheds that make up coho habitat. With the
exception of the State of California, pesticide users
throughout coho habitat areas are not required to report
pesticide use to public agencies, and generally are not
required to keep complete records of chemicals used. In
addition, an evaluation done by Washington State
Department of Ecology determined that current pesticide
application practices designed to protect surface water
from contamination do not effectively keep pesticides
out of streams.
"Toxic Water" explains that pesticides threaten fish
populations in a number of ways. Pesticides can kill
fish outright, and they also harm fish by making them
less able to escape predators or to catch their own
food. In some instances, pesticides force fish to breath
faster, causing them to use more energy. The food supply
and the reproductive success of fish higher on the food
chain, such as salmon, can also be affected by pesticide
damage to organisms low on the food chain.
To address this grave situation, the report recommends
the following:
-- Prevent pesticide contamination of coho habitat by
reducing or eliminating pesticide use; shift to non-
chemical pest management through training, technical
aid, financial incentives and disincentives, pilot and
demonstration programs, and informational exchange
opportunities.
-- Establish "pesticide free" zones in critical coho
habitat.
-- Implement comprehensive pesticide use reporting in
all states within coho habitat.
-- Improve sampling and monitoring methodology within
coho habitat to increase testing and ensure tests are
taken at times most likely to detect pesticide residues.
Source: NCAP press release, December 29, 1994; Toxic
Water: A Report on the Adverse Effects of Pesticides on
Pacific Coho Salmon and the Prevalence of Pesticides in
Coho Habitat, December 1994.
Contact: Norma Grier, NCAP, P.O. Box 1393, Eugene, OR
97440; phone (503) 344-5044; fax (503) 689-5274; email
ncap@igc.apc.org. Copies of the report are available
from NCAP.
===========================================================
| PANNA | for standard information |
| Phone:(415) 541-9140 | about PANNA send a short |
| Fax:(415) 541-9253 | email message to |
| email: panna@econet.apc.org | panna-info@econet.apc.org |
| gopher: gopher.econet.apc.org| |
| ___ |
| To subscribe to PANUPS send email to MAJORDOMO@igc.apc.org|
| with the following text on one line: subscribe panups |
| To unsubscibe send the following: unsubscribe panups |
===========================================================