Lead-free venison from Scotland

I have written before about how those in charge of our state forests are leading on taking out the lead (Pb) from ammunition.  FC England were definitely in the lead (see here) but FC Scotand were not far behind (see here). Here is the Forest Enterprise Scotland position on use of lead ammunition – Waitrose and Defra ministers, for a start, might like to note this phrase ‘Concern over food contamination is therefore a main driver for changing to lead-free ammunition.‘.

Use of lead-free ammunition on the National Forest Estate in Scotland

Key Points

• Forest Enterprise Scotland (FES) does not set government policy on the use of ammunition. However, FES aspires to implement best practice on the National Forest Estate (NFE) and to be an exemplar of sustainable forest management.

• There is evidence that the use of lead bullets can result in lead contamination of animal carcasses.  In the 2017/18 financial year, FES put approximately 850,000 kilograms of venison into the human food chain.  Concern over food contamination is therefore a main driver for changing to lead-free ammunition.

• Spent lead ammunition also poses a significant health risk to wildlife, such as wildfowl and raptors.  Concern over harm to wildlife is therefore an additional driver for changing to lead-free ammunition.

• Where FES has control of the activity, the type of ammunition used on the NFE is an operational decision for FES.  The choice of ammunition is based on its effectiveness and on environmental considerations, with due consideration for all applicable legislation and government policy.

• FES continues to trial lead-free bullets for deer and feral pig and effective lead-free ammunition has now been identified for the majority of calibres used by our wildlife ranger team.

• FES Wildlife Rangers account for around 31% of the deer shot on the NFE. By 1 April 2019 all deer and feral pigs culled by FES Wildlife Rangers will be by lead-free ammunition, except in the small minority of cases (<5%) where suitable lead-free ammunition is not available. Our aim is to reach 100% of our deer and feral pigs culled by non-lead ammunition as soon as possible. This will be dictated by the speed with which the ammunition market develops to provide suitable non-lead ammunition for all relevant calibres.

• FES contractors account for around 60% of the deer shot on the NFE of which just under half are currently using non-lead ammunition. By 1 December 2022, all FES contractors will be using lead-free ammunition for shooting deer and feral pigs. This will be achieved in a phased way, whereby all contract renewals will stipulate the use of lead-free ammunition.

• This progressive change will mean that by April 2019 around two thirds of all ammunition used will be lead free, and by the end of 2022, all deer and feral pigs entering FES larders for processing will have been shot by non-lead ammunition.

• A small proportion (approx. 9%) of the deer shot on the NFE is covered by lease or permission arrangements.  On an ongoing basis, opportunities will be actively sought and taken to change lease conditions to stipulate that only lead-free ammunition can be used to shoot deer and feral pigs.

• By 2023, all permissions will use non-lead ammunition. This will be achieved in a phased way similar to contracts. 

Forest Enterprise Scotland August 2018

I am grateful to FE Scotland for sending me this document this morning after a phone call to them yesterday – great service, many thanks!

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