The use of chlorpyrifos, diazinon and malathion is being restricted near salmon waters in Washington, California, Oregon and Idaho, according to a report in The World.
The report says the chemicals have been found by the US Geological Survey to interfere with salmon’s sense of smell, making it harder for them to find food, avoid predators and return to native waters to spawn.
The new regulations follow a court action against the federal government in 2001 for not considering the impact of pesticides on protected salmon and steelhead.
The new rules prohibit the use of these pesticides within a range of 100 feet and 1,000 feet of salmon waters, depending on the size of the river or stream, application rate and other criteria, says The World.
EPA Ban on Pesticide Use
US - The Environmental Protection Agency has set new limits on three pesticides commonly used on farms to protect endangered and threatened Pacific salmon.
