Lead sinkers -- citations, please

[danbob]

I'm sorry, but I'm a journalist. Been so for 2 decades now.
Bob Boese does us all a disservice by not citing the sources of his information on lead sinker fishing tackle research. It's one thing to write an FAOL article about fishing and tying and selecting flies, but when you venture into the realm of public policy it's best to CYA. Your readers have a right to know!

"Simply stated, the impact of lead fishing tackle has not been documented or even well studied."

Oh? I only had time to spend an hour on NEXIS today, and I found thousands of citations. A look into university research papers and dissertations uncovered dozens more recent studies about lead fishing tackle and bird mortality. They dissect the Tufts study and the USF&W analysis of it quite thoroughly. There's a 'straw man' in the article, too -- fish kills. The issue has never been fish kills, but BIRD kills from lead fishing tackle (and of course more importantly, by volume, lead shot from bird hunters). Boese does mention this eventually, to his credit.

Twiss, 1998:
In North America, the Common Loon is most commonly reported as dying from this cause, although at least 23 other species?are vulnerable. Bans on the use of lead fishing weights have been imposed in Yellowstone National Park, Redrocks Lake National Wildlife Refugee, and the National Elk Refugee in the USA. 22% of 202 Common Loons found dead in New England had ingested lead objects, principally sinkers and jigs. All of the loons that had ingested lead were adults representing 38% of the 115 adults examined. The percentage is even higher if birds collected only from fresh water are considered, i.e. 57% of 74 adult birds. These results show that lead toxicosis is a major mortality factor for Common Loons in Eastern North America, although the data probably represents a portion of the birds dying from this cause. Lead poisoned waterfowl commonly hide in dense cover as they become weaker, and are easily overlooked even by those searching for them.

And the author NEVER loses a hare's ear nymph weighted with lead, and birds never eat it? Hmmm, maybe I need to pick up some fishing tips from him.... (sorry, that was snarky).

Lead is a horrible, nasty poison. Ask anyone whose child was poisoned by lead-based paint, or absorbed lead in a mine. Does *anyone* on FAOL still crimp a lead sinker on their nymping rig with their teeth like my Dad used to? Oh my.

Suggested reading, and sources easily available (this is not Nexis stuff, though that was much more enlightening).

WBCI ?Get the Lead Out? webpage http://www.wisconsinbirds.org/leadpoisoning.htm

Wildlife Without Lead http://www.hawkwatch.org/lead_site/index.htm

Raptor Education Group, Inc. ?lead sinker exchange? webpage, with a list of nonlead tackle suppliers/manufacturers http://www.raptoreducationgroup.org/...ange&NewsID=11

Lead and Wildlife: A Bibliography of Selected Citations ? 2001 http://www.hawkwatch.org/lead_site/b...bliography.pdf

Let?s Get the Lead Out! (Non-lead alternatives for fishing tackle) (Minnesota) http://www.moea.state.mn.us/reduce/sinkers.cfm

Loons and Lead Poisoning (Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine) http://www.tufts.edu/vet/loons/loon.html

Fish Lead Free (Canadian Wildlife Service) http://www.cws-scf.ec.gc.ca/fishing/index_e.cfm

Lead Poisoning (Michigan) http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/1,1607,7...76--CI,00.html

The Use of Nontoxic Shot for Hunting in Washington http://www.wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/wate...cshotfinal.htm

Lead Toxicosis in Michigan Loons from Ingestion of Lead Sinkers and Jigs: A Real Problem http://www.michiganloons.org/lead.htm

Fact Sheet: Lead Poisoning in Migratory Birds (National Wildlife Health Center, Madison) http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/other_diseases/lead_poisoning.jsp

Lead and Fishing ? Sinkers and Animals (U.S. EPA) http://www.epa.gov/owow/fish/animals.html

Lead Fishing Tackle (State Environmental Resource Center) http://www.serconline.org/lead/pkg_frameset.html

LoonWatch: Get the Lead Out!: http://www.northland.edu/Northland/S...TheLeadOut.htm


Numbers of lead poisoned Bald Eagles by statehttp://biology.usgs.gov/s+t/imagefiles/b213f02.htm

Environment Canada - toxicity of lead shot and sinkers http://www.cws-scf.ec.gc.ca/publicat...88/chap3_e.cfm

Swans and lead poisoning (info from a die-off in 2000 in the Pacific Northwest) http://www.swansociety.org/issues/lead/0102lead.html

Trumpeter Swan society - more on lead poisoning of swanshttp://www.trumpeterswansociety.org/washington/lead.htm

Minnesota Public Radio - lead sinkers and poisoning (a still effective re-telling of this information) http://news.minnesota.publicradio.or...-m/index.shtml

Loon Preservation Committee (search their pages for info on loons and lead; other contaminants) http://www.loon.org/

Additional Literature

Clark, A. J. and A. M. Scheuhammer. 2003. Lead poisoning of upland foraging birds of prey in Canada. Ecotoxicology 12:23-30.

Sanborn, W. n.d. Lead Poisoning of North American Wildlife from lead shot and lead fishing tackle . Draft. HawkWatch International, 1800 South West Temple, Suite 226, Salt Lake City, UT 84115. (This 31-page review is the best single source of information and contains 125 references through 2002.)

Scheuhammer, A.M., S.L. Money, D.A. Kirk, and G. Donaldson. 2003. Lead fishing sinkers and jigs in Canada: Review of their use patterns and toxic impacts on wildlife. Occasional Paper 108. Canadian Wildlife Service, Ottawa.

Scheuhammer, A. M. and S. L. Norris. 1995.
A review of the environmental impacts of lead shotshell ammunition and lead fishing weights in Canada .
A review of the environmental impacts of lead shotshell ammunition and lead fishing weights in Canada. Occasional Paper 88. Canadian Wildlife Service, Ottawa.

Strom, S. M., K. Patnode, J. Langenberg, B. Bodenstein, T. Scheuhammer, and B. Beard. 2004. Determination of the extent and source of lead contamination in woodcock (Scolopax minor) from Wisconsin. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Final Report.

1. USEPA 1994. Lead Fishing Sinkers: Response to Citizens' Petition and Proposed Ban, Proposed Rule. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC.
2. Eisler, Ronald, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "Lead Hazards to Fish, Wildlife, and Invertebrates: A Synoptic Review." Biological Report 85(1.14), Contaminant Hazard Reviews, April 1988.
3. New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Fishing/get_the_lead_out.htm.
4. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1986. "Migratory bird hunting; availability of a final supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) on the use of lead shot for hunting migratory birds in United States." Federal Register 51(124):23443-23447; also US Fish and Wildlife Service. 1987. "Migratory bird hunting; zones in which lead shot will be prohibited for the taking of waterfowl, coots and certain other species in the 1987-88 hunting season." Federal Register 52(139):27352-27368.
5. Sanborn, Wendy. "Lead Poisoning of North American Wildlife from Lead Shot and Lead Fishing Tackle."
6. Sidor, Inga F., Pokras, Mark A., Major, Andrew R., Poppenga, Robert H., Taylor, Kate M. Miconia, Rose M. "Mortality of Common Loons in New England, 1987 to 2000." Journal of Wildlife Diseases, Vol. 39, No. 2, pp. 306-315.
7. Scheuhammer, A.M., Money, S.L., Kirk, D.A., Donaldson, G. "Lead fishing sinkers and jigs in Canada: Review of their use patterns and toxic impacts on wildlife." Occasional Paper Number 108, Canadian Wildlife Service, March 2003.
8. Scheuhammer, A.M., Norris, S.L. "A review of environmental impacts of lead shotshell ammunition and lead fishing weights in Canada." Occasional Paper Number 88, Canadian Wildlife Service, August 1995.
9. Vermont Statutes, Sec. 1. 10 V.S.A. ? 4606(g) and Sec. 2. 10 V.S.A. ? 4614.
10. Maine Statutes, Title 12: Conservation, Part 13: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Subpart 4: Fish and Wildlife, Subchapter 5: Unlawful Fishing Methods, ?12663: Unlawful sale of lead sinkers.
11. State of New York Environmental Conservation Law, Section 11-0308.

Credibility comes from research into prior art, when you are discussing public policy.
Talk about fishin' all you want, and I won't say a word.


DAN FINK

[Buddy Sanders]

Dan,

Not being a journalist, but interested in the topic, I followed ALL of your links over a few hours, and read all I could find. After reading it, I'm wondering if YOU did.

I have to agree with Mr. Boese (as do the studies, numbers and 'data' in ALL the links you provided).

Many of your 'cititaions' were basic rephrasings of the same press release from someplace. Most were government or environmental group web sites. " Lead is bad. Someone did a 'study' and lead is killing birds. Don't use lead tackle. Split shot looks like gravel. Birds eat it thinking it is gravel. Then the lead kills them. " Some were word for word.

A few were 'unavailable', maybe typing errors or the web sites moved. Almost all the frenzy over lead fishing tackle traced back to ONE seminal study (Mr. Scheuhammer....). It apparently got rehashed quite a bit, but all of the 'data' seems not to have changed (I can't think of several different folks writing about the same data as 'separate' studies).

Let me say this again, clearly, by following YOUR citations, apparently only ONE actual 'study' was done, and even the authors stated that it was inconclusive and more study was required (the Scheuhammer studies, apparently this is his baby).

When I actually followed a 'link' that had some facts attached to it, most of it was about lead shot from shotshells. Many of the text alluded to the fact that it's 'possible' for the poor birds to ingest sinkers and jigs, but I couldn't find any place where they actually 'found' them in birds. They did find lots of lead shots from shotshells, though.

A lot of what I read was stated as fact, without any backup. A lot of supposition. They say that since there is a lot of folks fishing with lead, it must be killing birds....but no one mentioned finding a jig in a dead bird.

I found it odd that there were examinations where they stated plainly that they found a certain number of lead shot in a dead bird. Apparently they cut open LOTS of dead waterfowl, loons, and such. NONE of these, and they were what you directed us to, listed ONE instance in all of those dissections where there was ONE piece of fishing tackle in a bird.

I'm not saying it can't happen, but with all this hype, seems someone could have found a picture of an ingested jig head to post, just for the visual impact of it.

Once I got into some of the numbers, though, I realized how ridiculous (my words here, I find it absolutely ludicrous) all this really is. Are we talking MILLIONS of dead birds from lead fishing tackle? Thousands? Hundreds? Nope. Not ONE table or list or study showed it. Lead deaths, mostly from shot shells, sure. But not millions. Not even thousands. Some states had a few hundred spread over a few DECADES. One state, Michigan, had deaths listed by EACH DEAD BIRD over the last few years (can't be accurate, but hey, they are trying..)

What did they find?

ONE dead bird from 'lead poisoning' in one state over a year's time, or three or four (if the 'table' on the site you directed me to is to be believed) forty so over the course of the several years study, less than a third of the overall 'causes' studied...with all these TONS of lead, you'd think that more than a FEW birds would be killed...and again, these were LEAD BIRDSHOT DEATHS, no 'table' or 'study' listed any 'facts' about finding such and such a sinker/jig in X number of birds.

One site listed all kinds of tables with bird by bird docmentation..until they put up a 'table' about fishing tackel. THEN it was all this 'could' happen ,and that 'could' happen..but nothing about it actually happening.

While it may be sad that even one bird dies from lead poisoning, I'm not ready to jump on this bandwagon without some FACTS, and I'm certainly not ready to interrupt or derail a multimillion dollar industry just for the sake of a few dead birds.

One study, especially one where the primary author states that the results were inconclusive and that it requitres further study, is not enough to 'ban' lead fishing tackle.

I'm not accusing anyone of an agenda here, but I do know that most of the folks involved with this have no clue about actual fishing tackle. Almost all of these anti lead tackle press releases specifically mention jigs. Jigs almost always have a hook attached to them, and I'd think that the hook would be MUCH more dangerous to the bird than the lead in the head, but that's just me.

You may be a journalist, but Mr. Boese apparently did more homework than you gave him credit for.

Next time you try to overwhelm us with data, be prepared for the guy who will actually READ it all.

Buddy

[ELKHUNTER]

I still crimp lead sinkers with my teeth. Been doing it since I was a little kid. I am 53 years old and have never suffered any ill affects from doing
it.

Rocky

[ducksterman]

I haven't followed this topic closely but did read Buddy's post...and I say ...that's our Buddy!! Thanks

We duck hunters lost the lead battle long ago...and some things occur to me ...

Are leaded fishing lures/ flies going to end up copper coated?
Will lead be replaced by tungsten...expensive..

Buddy your point about not finding jigs etc. in ducks seems well taken...and it is even easier than you said ...many of the ducks examined were by x-ray...probably more accurate than dissection.

[Extremely Low Budget FF]

Dan,

but I couldn't find any place where they actually 'found' them in birds. They did find lots of lead shots from shotshells, though.


Buddy

Buddy, I don't understand your response. The first link I clicked on was:


http://www.michiganloons.org/lead.htm


It documents 42 cases of lead poisoning in birds in the data table at the end of the article.
20 from jigs including one with hooks
6 from sinkers
5 pieces of lead including 2 with hooks
4 from lures
3 from split shot including 3 with monofilament


Lead is a poison to people and birds.

In Great Britian there was a die-off of swans that was blamed on lead from fishing tackle. After several years of a ban on fishing tackle that contains lead, the number of swans started to recover.

Please don't lead people astray by telling them that tossing a known poison into our rivers and streams does not have dire consequences. It does!

Ed

[jeffnles1]

I have to wonder how closely allied the anti-lead agenda is to the anti-gun agenda and how closely groups like PETA are alied with both of these agendas?

Next thing you know, someone will suggest renaming fist to some cute fuzzy name to make it less likely that people will want to catch and eat them.

You want to find something that kills off wildlife? habitat loss. What wildlife lost its home due to the local Wal-Mart Super Center parking lot or the row of half million dollar homes in your local suburb (oops I guess those are now three hundred thousand dollar homes now).

Jeff

[pspaint]

You want to find something that kills off wildlife? habitat loss. What wildlife lost its home due to the local Wal-Mart Super Center parking lot or the row of half million dollar homes in your local suburb (oops I guess those are now three hundred thousand dollar homes now).

Jeff

That is soooo, true! But they'll blame it on the lead because it's easy.

300K? It's probably a whole lot less! lol.

[hap]

I still crimp lead sinkers with my teeth. Been doing it since I was a little kid. I am 53 years old and have never suffered any ill affects from doing
it.

Rocky

Rocky
I am also 53 and have been crimping shot with my teeth my whole life... And I cast lead head jigs by the hundreds of pounds (but I use decent ventilation... I ain't stupid!)
And it hasn't affected me
And it hasn't affected me
And it hasn't affected me
And it hasn't affected me
And it hasn't affected me
And it hasn't affected me
And it hasn't affected me
And it hasn't affected me
And it hasn't affected me
And it hasn't affected me
And it hasn't affected me
And it hasn't affected me...
art

[pspaint]

Rocky
I am also 53 and have been crimping shot with my teeth my whole life... And I cast lead head jigs by the hundreds of pounds (but I use decent ventilation... I ain't stupid!)
And it hasn't affected me
And it hasn't affected me
And it hasn't affected me
And it hasn't affected me
And it hasn't affected me
And it hasn't affected me
And it hasn't affected me
And it hasn't affected me
And it hasn't affected me
And it hasn't affected me
And it hasn't affected me
And it hasn't affected me...
art

mEee eeTher! Uh...what were we talking about? lol.

[zaxaca]

The moment you identified yourself as a journalist was the moment my eyes rolled to the back of my head.