Scientists occasionally produce consensus statements on issues. These are designed to be statements on what the science is and what it might mean. Here’s one on lead ammunition: ‘We, the undersigned, with scientific expertise in lead and human and/or environmental health, draw attention to the overwhelming scientific evidence, summarised below, on the toxic effects of…
Category: LEAD AMMUNITION
National Trust position on toxic ammunition and deer culling
The National Trust (E, W & NI), is a relatively small player in the world of deer culling – many hundred deer (perhaps low thousands) are culled on their very large landholding each year, but those are mostly with lead bullets at the moment (except where working in partnership with the RSPB where copper bullets…
Forest Enterprise Scotland position on toxic lead ammunition
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Forest Enterprise Scotland seem to be moving rather more slowly towards getting rid of toxic lead ammunition – although I get the impression that they are probably heading in the right direction. What do you think – this is what they sent me as a statement?: Forest Enterprise Scotland (FES) said: “Due to concerns regarding…
Forest Enterprise England to dump toxic ammunition
There is, of course, no need for anyone to wait for a legal ban on lead ammunition, or for Defra to stir themselves – they can just switch themselves. The legal move will sweep up the recalcitrant, the uninformed and the bloody minded and selfish. For example, the RSPB made the decision to drop lead…
Dear Secretary of State
Dear Ms Truss It is six months since you received the report of the Lead Ammunition Group and your department has, so far, not commented on it. Given that the findings of the report demonstrate human health impacts and wildlife health and conservation impacts your idleness is unacceptable. Each day you delay you are complicit…
Westminster Hall debate on lead ammunition
There will be a Westminster Hall debate on lead ammunition next Tuesday on 8 December from 1630-1730. Members of the public are welcome to attend. It might be a good idea to contact your MP ahead of this debate and tell her or him what you think about the issue. These debates are fairly low-key…
Let them eat Lead!
In a typical act of generosity, grouse moors are donating excess carcasses of lead-shot Red Grouse to the poor and elderly. The science shows that the average lead-shot Red Grouse has lead levels that are higher than would be legal in other meats. Lead is a poison for which there is no harmless level for…
400 waterfowl will die from lead poisoning in the UK today
The estimate of c73,000 waterfowl being poisoned each winter in the UK by ingesting lead ammunition means that c400 will die from poisoning today. And tomorrow. And Sunday. And Monday. Poisoned – hardly a clean kill. See these videos about lead poisoning (here and here and here and here) and then realise that you can…
BASC is clueless
In a muffled statement, because it’s very difficult to hear the words of those whose heads are stuck in the sand, BASC say that: ‘there is no risk to those who do not eat shot game meat more than once a week throughout the year’. This simply isn’t true. There is no level at which…
RSPB and WWT support Rob Sheldon’s e-petition
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…