Birds, Unleaded

约炮视频 groups in Maine and California wage a battle against deadly lead.

The war against lead is advancing on two fronts. In Maine, after a new report labeled small lead fishing tackle as the biggest cause of death for common loons, 约炮视频 introduced legislation to halt its sale. And in California, 约炮视频 is pushing for a statewide ban on lead hunting ammunition, which still threatens endangered condors and other protected species. 鈥淚t is not reasonable to discharge large amounts of lead in the environment when [lead-free] alternatives exist,鈥 says Dan Taylor, 约炮视频 California鈥檚 public policy director.

Habitat destruction and flooded nests already put the loons at risk, explains Mark Pokras, a veterinarian who participated in Maine 约炮视频鈥檚 research. 鈥淭his goes back to the straw that breaks the camel鈥檚 back. If lead was the only threat, I wouldn鈥檛 be so worried.鈥 Adds Susan Gallo, director of , who helped lead the research: 鈥淚f you look at what we can do something about, lead is huge.鈥 Using data from the study of 450 dead loons, Maine 约炮视频 is trying to expand current state fishing tackle restrictions to include both the sale and use of sinkers up to one ounce and lead-headed jigs up to two-and-a-half inches long.

Likewise, is ramping up efforts to outlaw lead, but in bullets. Endangered condors have become poster birds for the metal鈥檚 harmful effects: As flock feeders that gather around gut piles that hunters discard, 鈥渙ne contaminated carcass can poison multiple birds,鈥 Taylor explains. Add to that the threat to people who eat game and the fight has real legs, he notes. 鈥淟inking the human aspect with the wildlife aspect has significantly changed the debate.鈥

In both cases, the groups opposing the restrictions鈥攇un advocates and hunters in the West, anglers in the East鈥攄ispute its effects. Fishermen argue that lead isn鈥檛 depleting the loon population. But in Maine in the past 30 years, chick hatches haven鈥檛 increased in proportion to adult numbers. Furthermore, we may be seeing 鈥渏ust a sample of what鈥檚 dying out there [from lead],鈥 says Danielle D鈥橝uria, a Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife biologist.

In the eight California counties that have already outlawed lead ammunition, lead levels in animals have declined, Taylor says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing it in turkey vultures, in golden eagles, and in condors.鈥 But the lead still out there continues to pose a threat.

At press time, Maine 约炮视频 was awaiting a decision about further restrictions on sinkers and jigs. California 约炮视频 expects an Assembly decision on the bullet bill by late June.

Update: Since publication, Maine 约炮视频鈥檚 bill to ban lead sinkers and jigs was  by the state Senate and became law. The first restrictions take effect this fall, and the phase-in will be complete by September of 2017. Meanwhile, 约炮视频 California鈥檚 statewide ban on lead ammunition passed the California State Assembly. The bill is currently in the State Senate, and Taylor expects the bill to go to the Senate floor for a full vote in early September.

This story ran in the July-August issue as 鈥淗eavy Metal.鈥