USA: Hobby Hunters Endanger Eagle Populations

A new study has found that the majority of bald eagles and golden eagles in the United States are exposed to high levels of lead chemicals from ammunition used by hobby hunters.

The study asserts that the presence of the chemical in these eagles at this scale may threaten their population growth in North America.

Lead poisoning in both eagle species begins when these birds ingest lead residues from ammunition found in the carcasses of dead animals – after they have been shot by hunters using rifles and shotguns.

The study's findings are likely to cause even greater concern among environmentalists and conservationists in the future, as the use of lead-based ammunition in hunting in the wild remains widespread in the USA.

Since the early days of industrialisation, lead — a chemical element found in abundance — has been widely used in the manufacturing industry to produce a variety of materials.

One of these materials is processed into lead ammunition, which has commonly been used for hunting wildlife over the past centuries.

In some cases, outdoor hunting results in lead poisoning in wildlife, with birds among the most frequent victims.

Birds become contaminated with lead when they consume the carcass of an animal containing lead fragments after it has been shot by hunters.

If lead production continues at its current rate, approximately 1.9 million tonnes of the chemical will enter the environment over the next two decades, according to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).

Furthermore, the ECHA added that lead residues from ammunition can also affect human health.

Lead Poisoning in Bald Eagles and Golden Eagles

The new study was published on February 17 in the journal Science. The researchers analyzed the lead concentrations of 1,210 eagles from 38 U.S. states. In their examination, they found that more than 50% of adult bald and golden eagles showed lead concentrations in their bones.

Pathologists described this as chronic lead poisoning. According to Vincent Slabe, wildlife biologist at Conservation Science Global and co-author of the study, lead poisoning slows the population growth of bald and golden eagles.

Slabe further added that acute poisoning can kill the eagles. The toxin can, for example, render them immobile and lead to death by starvation. In addition, lead exposure can impair their eyesight, reduce sperm quality, disrupt digestion, and weaken their immune system.

The Law on the Protection of Bald and Golden Eagles

Nature and environmental conservation groups have called on the U.S. government to develop measures and strategies to protect bald and golden eagles. Some of these demands relate to the regulation of hunting practices, including the transition from lead to copper ammunition.

Despite the existing law concerning these eagles, known as the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 668-668c), enacted in the United States in 1940, eagle populations remain at risk according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The U.S. authority pointed out that under the law, unauthorized activities involving bald or golden eagles are illegal. These include killing, injuring, capturing, exporting, or importing. The law also prohibits disturbance of the eagle's habitat.