“It’s not a good policy to put a toxic metal in our waters.” Susan Solterman, policy director for Audubon Minnesota.

Lead is toxic to wildlife and humans.

This is not news to anybody. For years, the federal government has required that gas be unleaded and paint lead-free. Since the 1800s, lead has been recognized as a factor in wildlife mortality. Lead causes severe neurological problems, reproductive malfunction, immune suppression, and death. If the lead itself does not cause the death of the organism, its effects on the organism’s strength may render the organism more susceptible to mortality resulting from infection, disease, or predation.

Birds ingest lead.

Many water birds ingest small pebbles (“grit”) to aid digestion. Loons, for example, often have as many as 20 to 30 pebbles in their gizzard. Small lead sinkers or jigs laying in the sand can be mistaken for pebbles and ingested. Other water birds may also mistake sinkers for dietary items like seeds or snails. Dabbling ducks, such as mallards and pintails, skim the bottom in shallow areas searching for and feeding on roots, leaves, and seeds. Diving ducks, swans, and geese dive to the bottom and probe the substrate for food. Shorebirds, such as rails and terns, probe the soft sediments along the banks and shallows. At least 30 bird species are known to have ingested lead fishing tackles in North America.

Lead kills birds.

Ingested lead shot results in lead poisoning. In the bird’s gizzard, the lead tackle erodes and is dissolved. The resulting lead salts are highly toxic and are absorbed into the circulatory system. There, the lead mimics the movement of calcium, is stored in bones, and excreted into the feces via bile.

Signs of lead poisoning include lowered food intake, anemia, weight loss, drooping wings, impaired flying ability, loss of balance, gasping, tremors, and green watery diarrhea. As the poisoning worsens, the bird may hide among aquatic vegetation and miss migration. Death may occur within two weeks.

It is entirely possible that deaths from indirect effects of lead poisoning may outnumber the deaths directly related to lead toxicity. “Non-lethal” effects, including anemia and weakened muscles, increase susceptibility to disease, infection, and predation. Additionally, birds can have difficulties breeding, nesting, and caring for their young. Immune suppression may also result.

Consumption of fish attached to lead tackle or fish that have ingested lead tackle can also lead to lead poisoning. Secondary lead poisoning has been documented in bald eagles, common loons, common mergansers, and red-breasted mergansers.

Lead is toxic to humans.

Lead is a systematic toxic metal. Lead has been linked to brain damage, mental retardation, behavior problems, anemia, liver and kidney damage, hearing loss, developmental delays, other physical and mental problems and, in extreme cases, death. Intellectual impairments, as measured by IQ tests, have been observed in children with blood lead levels below 10 micrograms per deciliter, the level set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) as protective of human health. While the danger from casual handling of lead sinkers is not great, some lead sinkers are small and easily swallowed. Children’s digestive tracts absorb lead more efficiently than adults. Furthermore, many anglers make their own lead sinkers, or make sinkers for sale to others. This activity should not be done at home because the manufacture of lead sinkers can result in extremely toxic lead vapors and lead-contaminated house dust that poses a health threat to all household members. Lead released to waterways can also accumulate in waterfowl and fish and be consumed by humans.

A ban is reasonable.

Loon and other waterfowl deaths from lead poisoning are preventable. Almost 15 years ago, the U.S. decided that lead was killing too many ducks, so it prohibited the use of lead shot shells in waterfowl hunting. Hunters adapted and manufacturers adjusted their production. The end result was lower prices for non-lead shot shells and innovation and improvements. The same will occur with lead sinkers and jigs. But, until manufacturers see a worthwhile incentive to change their operations, they will hesitate to expend the capital necessary to convert to the production of non-lead weights. Why invest more in the production of a poorly-selling product? When lead sinkers weighing an ounce or less and lead jigs measuring an inch or less are outlawed, an increase in the availability, affordability, and performance of non-lead alternatives will occur.

The economic impact of a prohibition on the sale or use of lead sinkers and jigs will be minimal. The average angler spends between $1.50 and $3.50 annually on sinkers.
Even if the non-toxic alternatives cost twice as much as lead (the majority of currently available products cost somewhat less), the sinker expenditure still amounts to a small fraction of angler equipment costs (consider rods, reels, knives, bait, etc.), and an even smaller faction of their overall angling costs (consider lodging, meals, gas, boat and equipment maintenance, etc.). Dealers will experience no loss in net profit, as sinkers are essential items to angling. Manufacturers will face only initial costs while they transition from the production of lead weights to the production of alternatives.

It just makes sense to move away from lead tackle.

Lead poisoning and the resultant water bird deaths are preventable. Suitable, reasonably-priced alternatives to lead sinkers and jigs exist. We are the primary killers of these animals and have a choice about whether to continue to poison waterfowl or choose effective alternatives to lead tackle.