Sadly, the potential damage to wildlife from environmental lead doesn't end there. Raptors such as the American bald eagle, Andean condor, honey buzzard, king vulture, and California condor can suffer from secondary lead poisoning after eating contaminated fish or waterfowl. Most secondary contamination of predators, it should be said, derives from ingestion of lead shot; many of the lead pellets and pieces from lead sinkers pass harmlessly through the digestive systems of predators or are regurgitated. However, documented cases of poisoning from lead fishing sinkers do exist (reference 1).
Bans on certain types of lead fishing sinkers have been imposed in some areas. New Hampshire has enacted a multi-step ban that will ban all fishing weights of less than one ounce by 2006 (reference 3). New York, Vermont, and Maine ban the sale of lead fishing weights weighing one-half ounce or less (references 9, 10, 11). Canada bans use of lead sinkers weighing less than 50 grams (1.76 ounce), and the UK Environment Agency says, "No fishing weights made of lead may be used except those of 0.06 grams or less and those of more than 28.35 grams" (from 0.002 ounce to 1 ounce). Most U.S. bans affect only the sale of new fishing sinkers, not the use of existing ones. Home manufacture of sinkers is also not prohibited; according to the EPA, "It is estimated that between 0.8 and 1.6 million anglers may produce their own lead sinkers" (reference 1). I never heard of anyone making their own sinkers; it sounds rather boring. But people think handloading is boring too, and it's actually quite enjoyable, so what do I know?
The fact is, lead is harmful to an enormous variety of wildlife, and lead fishing sinkers and other lead tackle contribute significantly to the risk. Sinkers made from an array of alternative materials are available, including copper, bismuth, steel, brass, tungsten, and even densified plastic and ceramic. The chief difference between these and lead sinkers is cost--online fishing gear catalogs suggest that alternative sinkers cost 4 to 8 times as much as lead. Still, reference 7 claims that the annual cost to a Canadian angler should be "less than $2.00." Is that really a big deal to help end heavy metal poisoning?
References
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, http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Fish...e_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.