The upcoming restriction targets the 13,000 tonnes of lead ammunition distributed into the UK countryside annually, which birds routinely ingest as grit or food. Campaigner Sacha Dench warned that the pollutant kills tens of thousands of water birds domestically each year and threatens certain populations with regional extinction. Meanwhile, some game managers are shifting immediately to non-toxic rounds due to tightening food chain standards and market resistance to contaminated venison.
Key points
Environmental contamination from traditional shotgun ammunition represents an acute extin…: Environmental contamination from traditional shotgun ammunition represents an acute extinction hazard for several wild bird species.
The Lead Ammunition Collective earned the prestigious RSPB Medal for its scientific and p…: The Lead Ammunition Collective earned the prestigious RSPB Medal for its scientific and public advocacy against environmental toxins.
Game meat suppliers are actively rejecting lead-shot carcasses to prevent toxic contamina…: Game meat suppliers are actively rejecting lead-shot carcasses to prevent toxic contamination from entering the human food chain.
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- Published
A conservationist has welcomed new laws banning the sale of lead ammunition as she warns people are not aware of the scale of the problem affecting wildlife.
Sacha Dench, who lives in Chagford, Devon, is a member of the Lead Ammunition Collective, which campaigned to end the sale of the toxic substance, earning the group the RSPB Medal, the charity's highest accolade.
Also known as "The Human Swan", she is best known for flying a paramotor 4,300 miles (7000km) from Arctic Russia to the UK tracking the migration of Bewick's swans.
The Australian-born biologist said lead poisoning was a significant threat to birds across Europe and was one of the issues she explored in her 2019 expedition.
Dench said: "Up to 100,000 water birds in the UK are expected to die each year from lead poisoning, and that's maybe a million across Europe.
"It's a really big effect and enough to be pushing some species towards extinction."
Scientists and conservation groups have long warned lead shotgun pellets can contaminate habitats and harm wildlife after being deposited in the…
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