BANGOR—Environment Maine Research & Policy Center, the Maine Environmental Policy Institute (MEPI) and Toxics Action Center released a report entitled, "Agribusiness and Atlantic Salmon: The Effects of Large-scale Blueberry Production on Endangered Atlantic Salmon", detailing the threats that pesticides used by the blueberry industry have on the species.
“This report attempts to connect the dots between chemicals used and released by agri-businesses and threats to the endangered Atlantic salmon,” said Will Sugg, one of the authors of the report and the director of MEPI.
Some of the report’s findings include:• Sedimentation from low-maintenance roads throughout fields near Downeast rivers create increased problems with sedimentation of gravel beds, which are important Atlantic salmon egg and alevin habitat;
• Nutrient loading is not extensive, but there is some potential for fertilizer application to fields to cause algal blooms and decreased dissolved oxygen in nearby streams and rivers;
• Pesticides used on blueberry fields have limited acute toxicity to Atlantic salmon, but indirect and chronic effects may be severe;
• Hexazinone, an oft-used herbicide is likely in high enough concentrations from drift, runoff and groundwater seep to change aquatic organismal communities, decreasing fitness of fry and parr;
• Malathion and azinphos-methyl (two organophosphate pesticides) may have direct, acute effects on Atlantic salmon physiology and survival, even in low concentrations;
• Water withdrawal can dramatically affect Atlantic salmon and the entire aquatic ecosystem, particularly in the late summer and early fall;
• Discharges from processing plants and other wastewater may have adverse effects on water temperature and dissolved oxygen in rivers, but is limited to small portions of Atlantic salmon habitat;
• Sulfur applications to increase acidic soil conditions are infrequent and sporadic, yet may be of concern for all life stages of Atlantic salmon.
“Clearly there is a lot of work to be done to further protect salmon from chemicals used by agri-businesses,” said Matthew Davis, one of the authors of the report and advocate with Environment Maine Research & Policy Center.
The report was released prior to the Maine Board of Pesticides Control (BPC) hearing on banning aerial spraying, phasing out organophosphate use and increasing residents’ right-to-know about pesticide use in their communities. Residents across Maine collected signatures to begin this formal Board of Pesticides Control rule-change process.
“Today the Board of Pesticides Control will be holding a hearing on rules that will go a long way to solving a lot of our concerns with aerial spraying and the use of the most dangerous pesticides,” said Will Everitt, Associate Director of Toxics Action Center. “Hopefully the Board will do the right thing and enact these protections.”
In addition to changes through the BPC, the report calls on the Maine Department of Environmental Protection to do more to mitigate storm water runoff, fertilizer and nutrient loading, and continue its water withdraw rulemaking.
