lead and the environment- Again!

[Treeman]

The subject has been pretty well hashed already,but the problem persists. Some people are just not interested and some refuse to acknowledge the issue.
I like shooting lead bullets, and I like fishing lead sinkers, but I also think it's time to go alternative routes. 

Now, many people argue that lead comes from the earth, how can it be bad? They also argue that lead is not food and what harm does a piece of lead do, it just lies there like a stone, plus! lead in its usable form cannot be digested so it will just pass through a body.

Ostrich's are some of the animals that eat stones, so are many of the ground birds, fowl and quails also eat grit and stones, often picking out the unusual particles like sinkers, shotgun shot and spent bullets.

Now recently the St Lucia reserve has announced that they are finding many crocodile dead or dying from lead poisoning. The crocs are swallowing up sinkers for ballast and grinding up of food in their stomach's, the lead is corroded by the stomach acids and constantly ground by the stones in the digestive process.

https://www.news24.com/fin24/economy/st-lucia-crocs-are-losing-their-teeth-due-to-lead-poisoning-20220524

Till recently I have been very sceptical about the whole lead debate being accurate in regard to the damage done by lead through fishing and shooting.

Are the countries that are banning lead on the right path ?

[Tripodmvr]

http://www.sahunters.co.za/images/attach/conservation/leadammo/Lead%20and%20Wildlife%20(part%202).pdf


Risiko's rakende gebruik van lood ammunisie

    Lizanne Nel
    Conservation Articles   
    10 May 2021
    Last Updated: 07 June 2021
    Hits: 741

SA Jagters is deel van verskeie inisiatiewe waar ons die impak van lood en lood ammunisie op wildlewe en lede ondersoek.  Drie artikels in die verband is in die SA Jagter tydskrif gepubliseer. Een oor die potenisiële risikos, vir lede, een oor die risiko's vir wildlewe en laastens 'n artikel waarin twee van die bestuurders skryf oor die implikasies vir die jagter wat die skuif wil maak na nie-lood ammunisie.

Daar is ook begin met 'n reeks aanbiedings aan takke in die verband wat baie goed ontvang word en geleentheid skep vir interaksie. Indien daar lede is wat meer inligting in die verband benodig, kan hul die artikels op die webwerf vind. Daar word ook saam met die Nasionale Lood Taakspan gewerk aan inligtingstukke wat meer inligting verskaf, insluitende risiko's van die gebruik van lood ammunisie vir roofdierbeheer, wildlewebestuur en in hengel.

[Treeman]

Thank you Tripod that was very informative indeed.

[Treeman]

Getting lead out of circulation for the sporting fraternity will take generations and things like sinkers will just carry on being made at home. 
A simple banning will only be a law, but it should be a start of making lead less available - like mercury is now compared to 30 years ago.

[JamesNotBond]

I wonder how many years it will be to get all the old stock used up, and then the question would be if lead products, say bullets, are banned will lead core bullets still be produced for export.

[Ds J]

Visvang: ou vonkproppe.