A proposal to ban all lead in fishing tackle is under consideration by the federal government, and your comments of opposition are needed to counter the threat.
This ban proposed in a petition by the Center for Biological Diversity and other environmental groups would include not only sinkers and jigs, but components that contain lead, including brass and ballast in spinnerbaits and lures of all kinds.
If passed, this could possibly cause a significant rise in tackle prices. Read the article and click on the link at the end to contact your congressman.
So according to the article, this isn’t even about lead leaching into the water from the fishing equipment: it’s about a very, very small number of birds that ingest lead — presumably from equipment left in nature by unmindful fishermen.
Seems to me, then, that the proper solution isn’t so much a ban on lead in tackle as a raising-of-consciousness to the effect that it’s always bad policy to pollute. For backpackers, it’s been an ancient maxim, since even before national parks made it a rule: pack your trash back out. The same maxim is probably well known among fishermen worth their salt. Only the losers are polluting, and if under 1% of waterfowl are being affected, then the losers must be pretty rare, because most fishermen are scrupulous.
So I think fishermen can apply their own filleting-knife-to-jugular brand of peer pressure to keep the losers in line. No extra rules necessary, just a tiny bit of extra vigilance. Besides… would changing over to lead-free tackle eliminate the problem of waterfowl choking on it? The article doesn’t convince me that lead, per se, is the problem, since the phrase “ingesting lead” is never elaborated on.
Well said Kevin, well said…
Thanks, Rob. And for what it’s worth, I’ve gone and done my civic duty, per the Nomad’s bidding. I hope this nonsense legislation doesn’t get passed.
All rise, the Big Hominid is in the house!
Ditto what Rob said and I agree with you 100%. IMO, more birds (and other animals) die from getting tangled in the fishing line that’s left on the shores and in the water than they do from eating the miniscule amounts of lead-based tackle. Just do a quick Google search for “fishing line birds.” Like you said, it basically comes down to individual responsibility; i.e., pick up your trash.