Ban Lead- Save Endangered Wildlife
Condors, Eagles, Waterfowl and Mammals Suffer From Lead Poisoning
Complete ban on lead bullets and fishing tackle is needed to protect wildlife from lead exposure in the environment. Lead-free fishing & hunting gear readily available.
With people's attention focused on lead exposure in the home, it is also important to work toward banning lead in all forms, for a healthier environment- indoors and out. State and regional laws on lead shot and fishing tackle are a first step but a total ban on lead in hunting and fishing gear is what is really needed to protect ecosystems everywhere.
Lead Exposure in the Wild
The species most commonly associated with lead poisoning are birds of prey including California condors, bald and golden eagles and water birds such as ducks, geese and loons. Waterfowl are often doubly exposed as they pick up lead sinkers and jigs lost by fishermen or lead shot from hunters when feeding in the soil on the bottoms of lakes and rivers.
Birds of prey ingest toxic levels of lead when they eat animals that have been shot. Deer, elk and small mammals such as squirrels may be shot and not found. Or hunters only take the portion of the animal they will use, leaving the carcass with the lead shot, for other wildlife to scavenge. In areas where eagles and hawks live near waterways, they also ingest ducks and geese that have been shot.
Mammals, such as wolves, coyotes and other predator or scavenger species may also develop lead poisoning from eating prey that has been shot or wildfowl that have ingested lead during their foraging.
Bullets lodged into muscle or skin are generally less of a problem. It is when the lead is dissolved in the digestive tract that the birds or mammals begin to display signs of lead toxicity.
Partial Ban is Helping
Some countries and states have bans in place:
In the UK lead weights have been banned since 1987 and in Canada small sinkers and jigs are illegal in national parks and national wildlife areas. The US Fish and Wildlife Service is considering bans on lead fishing gear in areas where loons and trumpeter swans breed.
Maine, New York and New Hampshire all ban small sinkers. Minnesota and Arizona are considering bans on lead shot, following on the heels of the ban on lead bullets in California in areas where condors are found.
In areas where lead is banned the wildlife lead poisoning cases have dropped almost immediately.
Lead-free Alternatives Readily Available
With the ease of purchasing non-lead fishing sinkers and jigs, as well as non-lead bullets it seems the time is right to push for a full ban on all lead in fishing and hunting equipment. Lead-free fishing tackle and bullets are competitively priced. A ban would force bait and tackle shops to supply the more environmentally friendly alternatives. And hunters and fishermen would be required to use them.
With the momentum gathered from the highly publicized ban on lead bullets in endangered California condor habitat, it makes sense to continue to push for complete ban on lead fishing tackle and bullets everywhere.
