EPA gives pesticide deadline to protect salmon and steelhead

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has given pesticides manufacturers a deadline of May 13th to agree to new restrictions on applying three farm pesticides that pose a threat to Pacific salmon and steelhead. If the companies don't comply by May 13th, the EPA will take legal action.

The EPA action comes 18 months after NOAA Fisheries Service found that the pesticides threaten the survival of 27 species of salmon and steelhead in the West. Anti-pesticide groups had initially sued EPA over the issue in 2001. The chemicals have been found by federal biologists to interfere with a salmon and steelhead's sense of smell, making it harder for them to find food, avoid predators and return to native waters to spawn. 

LINK  (Via:Business Week)

Washington Bans Copper From Brake Pads to Save Fish

When a driver hits the brakes, friction releases copper shavings that fall onto the road and are eventually washed into rivers, where environmentalists say the metal could pose a hazard to marine life — especially salmon, one of the Pacific Northwest's most prized products.

Washington state responded to the problem last month by becoming the first in the nation to pass a law to phase out the use of copper in brake pads. The move could eventually make copper-free pads the industry standard in the U.S.

LINK (Via: Fox News)

State Biologists Euthanize Five More California Sea Lions

California sea lions were as scarce as spring chinook salmon in the area just below the lower Columbia River's Bonneville Dam after state biologists captured seven of the big creatures and removed five of them.

LINK  (Via:The Columbia Basin Bulletin)

During the dry season 98% of the Eel River flows are diverted to the Russian River

In a last ditch effort to save crashing salmon and steelhead runs, the Friends of the Eel River have brought legal action before the State Water Resources Control Board to get the state to significantly cut back on the diversion of Eel River water to the Russian River. Conversely, the resulting elevated flows on the Russian are also threatening the State and federally listed Russian River’s endangered salmon and steelhead.

Prior to the diversion project the Eel used to get a run of 500,000 salmon and steelhead....the run today averages 15,000 fish.

LINK (Via: The Times Standard)

Slice Won't Touch These Lice

Alexandra Morton investigates an outbreak of drug resistant sea lice in BC's Nootka Sound. The footage they shot from a salmon processing facility's outflow pipe is horrific.

Think Salmon Tape

Salmon "Yield" tape was created to call out sensitive spawning areas.

Think Salmon is an initiative of the Fraser Salmon & Watersheds Program.