Indigenous groups in the Pastaza River basin near the Ecuador border have been complaining for years about the pollution and the failure of successive governments to address it.

NPR: Peru Declares Amazon Oil Contamination Emergency

"This petition should be a wake-up call to those claiming that the Columbia Basin salmon can be recovered without significant change, " said Rob Masonis of American Rivers, one of the groups that filed Wednesday's petition.

CNN: River watch: Is Columbia tapped out?