Recreational Hunters Poison Birds of Prey with Illegal Baits

Lead is harmful to humans and animals.

That is why leaded gasoline has been banned in Switzerland since January 1, 2000. Hunting ammunition is a different story: it still contains lead, even though its harmful effects have long been proven, particularly for the scavenging birds of prey golden eagle and bearded vulture.

Golden eagles and bearded vultures absorb lead when they feed on the entrails of shot animals left behind by recreational hunters, or on the carcasses of animals that were wounded but never found and died from their injuries.

Lead Levels in Birds of Prey Are Higher Than Abroad

The latest findings on lead poisoning in golden eagles and bearded vultures in the Swiss Alps come from a study by the University of Zurich, the Swiss Ornithological Institute in Sempach, and the Office for Hunting and Fisheries of the Canton of Graubünden: of 46 eagles examined, 14 showed very high and 16 showed high lead levels in their bones. Of the five bearded vultures examined, two had very high lead levels.

In an international comparison, the study finds that lead exposure in golden eagles and bearded vultures across the entire Swiss Alpine region reaches unusually high levels and was higher than in other European countries (e.g., Spain/Pyrenees) and in North America. This is described as particularly alarming for the bearded vulture, which still has a small and vulnerable, though growing, population in the Alpine region. The success of the bearded vulture's reintroduction is being seriously affected by lead poisoning.

Switch to Lead-Free Ammunition Called For

In light of these alarming results, the study's authors find it "deeply troubling" that a substance like lead, which is harmful to all bodily systems even in the smallest amounts, is present in wildlife at such high concentrations and so widespread. And they warn: "We should be aware that a bullet, unintentionally, can kill more than once.»

The study proposes two measures to reduce the risk of lead contamination: First, recreational hunters should not leave the entrails of shot animals lying in the open, but bury them in the ground. Second, a switch to lead-free ammunition should be made to protect birds of prey from harmful or even fatal lead exposure.

According to the study, game wardens in some regions of Switzerland have already switched to lead-free ammunition, and in four German federal states and several other regions of Europe, lead-containing ammunition is already banned.

Graubünden recreational hunters evaluate lead-free ammunition

According to the hunting regulations of the Graubünden Office for Hunting and Fisheries, the use of lead-free ammunition is to be evaluated for the Graubünden hunting season beginning next Monday. Because lead residues in the environment have been shown to cause poisoning, particularly in birds of prey, "the possibility of switching to lead-free ammunition is being examined."

And it is high time, since the Graubünden popular initiative "For a nature-compatible and ethical hunt", submitted in August 2014, had already called for lead-free hunting ammunition.

Source: infosperber.ch