Yesterday the RSPB and WWT started to mobilise their memberships to support Rob Sheldon’s e-petition to ban lead ammunition. This is good to see.
The main RSPB Twitter account, @natures_voice tweeted once yesterday (and again this morning) and this was backed up by rather more active support from @rspbcymru and @jazzyjeff, and @wwtconservation and @wwtworldwide were also tweeting.
WWT put out this video about the subject of lead poisoning of waterfowl and today’s blog by the RSPB’s Martin Harper asked members to support the e-petition. It’s a good start.
But the shooting industry is lobbying hard to keep poisonous ammunition. It’s very unclear why responsible organisations would want to continue to pump lead into the environment and into our food. Environmental experts want lead banned, the warnings of health impacts of eating lead-shot game meat have increased, and if you watch the WWT video you can see a whole gang of Danish hunters saying they wouldn’t go back to using lead even if they could!
It is shameful that the Countryside Alliance and BASC in particular are arguing for the continuation of poisonous ammunition to be put into the environment and our food when safe, cheap and effective alternatives exist. They have no clear argument for why we should continue to use lead ammunition – their approach is simply to try to cast doubt on the arguments for change. But they have a great deal of influence with Defra who are dragging their feet badly on this subject.
So you need to speak out, please – and the way to do that is to sign Rob Sheldon’s e-petition to ban the use of lead ammunition which is now supported by WWT and the RSPB.
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How about the Wildlife Trusts?
I don’t like to sit on the fence, so I take sides most of the time. We all disapprove of wildlife crime so sign for the driven grouse shooting ban.
But some organisations will not come out and say so. Thank goodness some are realising that eating poisoned food is stupid, and scattering lead around is ignorant!
At last! At long, long last! This is indeed a breakthrough.
Can we now hope to see this publicised in forthcoming newsletters and magazines before the petition runs out of time.
I wonder what caused the change of heart, and can we dare to hope for the same change of heart over the issue of driven grouse shooting that relies on criminality.
Maybe readers of this blog have been writing to certain people!?
If you haven’t, how about dropping a line to your MP. On both issues.
I want to end this reckless use of lead which is obviously poisonous to man and beast