Lead Fishing Sinkers: Risks & Environmental Concerns

I wonder how many of you have ever opened a split shot sinker with your teeth or held one in your mouth when going through your tackle box. I am pretty sure most of us have without giving it a second thought because we were focused on the fishing. Lead is a toxic substance and can be harmful to humans in many ways, according to federal and state government agencies in the U.S.A and Canada. Knowledge of this has lead to a ban on lead based paint, and as a fuel additive, and also household plumbing pipes, and window coverings the list goes on. Here in Canada Shotgun shells with lead shot are now banned, and only non lead shot may be used. Many efforts have been made towards public awareness about the hazards of lead and many people are aware of the risk. However there is a lot of work still to be done, you see humans are not the only species who suffer from the effects of lead, many of our Common Loons suffer a terrible death every year due to lead poisoning.

A Split shot Sinker inside a dead Loon!

 At least 27 different species are known to be affected by lead poisoning including numerous duck species, the Trumpeter, Tundra and Mute swans, Bald eagles, Sandhill cranes, and the Common loon. Studies conducted in the late 1990's and early 2000's in New England and New Hampshire and Minnesota found in some areas over 50% of loon mortality is due to lead poisoning from sinker and jig ingestion; and is the most frequent cause of loon deaths in New Hampshire. Up to 17% of the loon deaths in Minnesota were the result of lead poisoning.

Here is a big sinker a loon consumed from some sort of fishing rig.
This is a closeup shot of the above photo, look at the sinker the bird consumed. This is obviously some sort of rig that was broke off from an angler.

Likewise the Canadian Wildlife service has shown significant mortality in the Common Loon from ingestion of lead sinkers and jigs. I have looked into this several times, the numbers are real, this is a serious issue and one we have to work on. There are many documents that clearly warn of the risks of lead toxicosis in water birds. Direct ingestion rather than other environmental sources are clearly the leading cause of lead poisoning in our birds.

This is another sinker from a broken fishing rig, and another dead loon, these photos are just a drop in the bucket, there are many such photos. Some are very disturbing, showing the birds dying.

Boat trauma, commercial fishing nets, botulism, mercury, aspergillosis, and others round out the beating our water birds take every year. Here is what happens in most cases, birds commonly pick up small pebbles to grind food for digestion. Small lead sinkers and jigs are often mistaken for pebbles, or the bird consumes lures with fish and lead attached directly. The lead enters the gizzard, where stomach acids and abrasion break down the metal and it is absorbed into the bloodstream. What happens next is a real heart breaker, if you love the outdoors as much as I do. The poisoning then causes behavioral changes in the bird including loss of balance, gasping, tremors, and an impaired ability to fly. Now the bird is more vulnerable to predators, it has trouble feeding, mating, nesting, and caring for its young. It becomes emaciated and often dies within two or three weeks after eating the lead. Just one lead sinker or jig can poison a water bird, and make it suffer.

This is the way I like to view the Loon.

I am not a crazy environmentalist, or one of those over the top goofs who go to far to the extreme to discuss a problem. I love the outdoors and Fishing and Goose hunting just like all of you. What I want to discuss here is how can we help and do something without hurting the fishing Industry. How can we help and how can we as fishermen and women work together to better our sport and the outdoors we love without getting the Crazy people to take up the cause and want a ban on fishing products. Lets face it there are some of those politicians who would love to cut into our Fishing heritage and destroy it. Lead has always been the sinker and jig material of choice because of the density and the cheap cost to the manufactures. However there are some very high quality non-toxic sinkers and jigs out there made out of a variety of different metals. Like Bismuth, Tin, and Steel, to name a few.

A Deer swimming by on it's way across the lake, I enjoy these moments when fishing.

Would a ban on Lead fishing products help?? And My goodness who would first of all, and could it ever be enforced? Our countries are struggling with major budget deficits as it is, so there is really no money to enforce such a thing. It would only hurt the industry as I see it. Different metals are available, and easy to work with, Bismuth is so very easy to work with and has a density 86.4% of that of lead and is a great emitter of sound like steel However steel is a little harder to work with but nonetheless is a great metal for sinkers. Tin is the hands down best for pinch on, and split shot sinkers because it is so pliable. And the non-toxic paints these days are out of this world. Professional anglers have commented on the quality and durability of these products, and are starting to change the way they look at lead products. However to ask a manufacturer to retool and go lead free would be crazy and cost some companies millions, and could put some out of business. And so like the lead, the issue is toxic also, and a very difficult thing to try and work on. We should really ask ourselves what our environment and our waterfowl, fish, and wildlife are worth to us and make some changes in the way we fish and the way we teach our kids to fish. There has to be a way we can make a difference and help out without going to some extreme. Can we adopt different techniques and styles of fishing? Can we use a super-line to help prevent break-offs? There has to be a way we can support the industry and make sure we don't leave a mess of product in the water that could end up in a bird. So I think it boils down to us as individuals, ask yourself What Can I Do? I really think this issue comes down to us and if we take charge and show we care, the radical groups will not have a leg to stand on. I am going to experiment with new systems and presentations to see if there is a new way I can fish more efficiently and make less of an impact on the lake. Can we leave less out there? Oh yeah I think so, and in the case of lead, Less is more in this case. I look at the work Ducks Unlimited has done over the years and I just marvel at how wonderful that organization has been and the amazing work they have accomplished. I know if we all work together, our outdoor resources will last for generations and continue to be a great heritage we pass on to those coming up behind us.