After many years of campaigning by UK and international environmental groups, the use of lead gunshot by hunters in wetlands across all 27 EU countries has been banned.
Campaigners believe that the ban will save the lives of an estimated one million wetland birds that currently die from lead poisoning in the EU every year.
Dr Julia Newth from the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust says, “This EU law is a huge leap towards ending lead ammunition poisoning of wildlife in Europe. There is no safe level of lead – it has polluted wetlands for more than a century, creating a toxic environment for those that depend on them.”
Wetland birds are particularly susceptible to lead poisoning as they ingest discarded lead shot while feeding, mistaking the small pellets of lead gunshot for grit which they use to help grind up their food.
The European Chemicals Agency estimates that hunters have been polluting European wetlands such as the Camargue in France and Ebro Delta in Spain with more than 4,000 tonnes of lead shot annually, despite the existence of competitively priced alternatives.
A spokesperson for Aim to Sustain, a UK organisation made up of rural and shooting interests says: “Aim to Sustain partners have called for a voluntary phased transition away from the use of lead shot in shotgun shooting for all live quarry over any land. Many shotgun users have already made the transition to lead free alternatives and many more are in the process of doing so.”
There are partial restrictions on lead ammunition currently in place across the UK, with different restrictions brought in over time in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
However, like in mainland Europe, the poisoning continues since wetland birds continue to ingest lead shot when feeding in non-wetland areas where it is still mostly legally permitted.
Main image: Greater flamingos in Camargue wetland, France. © Yann Guichaoua-Photos/Getty
