Lead Poisoning of Wildlife
Three new scientific studies by University of California researchers confirm that lead poisoning of endangered California condors and other wildlife is due to scavenging animals ingesting fragments of spent lead hunting ammunition, reports the Center for Biological Diversity.
Researchers found that one-third of wild condors are suffering from chronic lead poisoning at levels that cause toxicological effects and sublethal impacts. The amount of lead in free-flying condors, which can scavenge on carcasses tainted with lead ammunition fragments, differs markedly from that in pre-release birds.
The research also demonstrates that lead exposure causes chronic, long-term health effects in condors as well as acute poisonings. Lead-poisoned condors must routinely be removed from the wild and subjected to stressful chelation treatment to save their lives.
The good news is that one study found that since lead ammunition was banned in condor habitat since 2008, lead has been effectively removed from the habitat. As a result, lead poisoning in condors, golden eagles and turkey vultures has been significantly reduced in those areas.
There are safe and available nontoxic alternatives for hunters and anglers that could be used in place of lead. Last November the Center, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, and the hunting group Project Gutpile, filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to regulate the use of toxic lead from hunting ammo and fishing gear that frequently poisons and kills eagles, swans, cranes, loons, condors, and other wildlife. Sadly, the EPA denied a formal petition to ban the lead in the ammo and tackle, in spite of nearly 500 peer-reviewed scientific papers showing the ill effects of continuing to use lead.
So there’s a campaign on to end the use of toxic lead ammunition and fishing tackle. So far, 117 organizations in 30 states have joined the call for a federal ban on lead ammunition and fishing tackle to prevent wildlife poisoning and safeguard human health. Hopefully the government will listen to them and enforce a lead ban.
Tags: California, Center for Biological Diversity, condor, endangered, EPA, lead, research, Wildlife
July 17th, 2011 at 7:36 am
Hunting and fishing, are a valuable part of our heritage as well as an important management tool however, there is simply no reason to continue to use toxic lead materials for hunting or fishing anymore. Effective, nontoxic bullets, shot and fishing weights are widely available. I fully support a ban on the use of lead in hunting ammunition and fishing weights.
July 17th, 2011 at 1:12 pm
Hi Phyllis,
I agree that lead in bullets and fishing gear should be banned. However, I disagree with your suggestion that hunting is an important management tool. By targetting and killing the strongest of any hunted species, it weakens the gene pool and is detrimental to species. It will be a wonderful day when hunters decide to shoot with a camera rather than a gun.
Alison