Ban on lead sinkers, jigs doesn’t lure anglers (Canada)

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Are bullets next?
Ban on lead sinkers, jigs doesn’t lure anglers

March 01, 2004

By Rita Trichur
TORONTO (CP)

The proposed federal ban on lead fishing sinkers and jigs isn’t reeling in support from anglers, who say the plan is based on “bad science†and leaving them on the hook for rising costs, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters says.

The proposal—intended to protect one of Canada’s most cherished emblems, the loon—means that anglers would be left scramling to find non-toxic alternatives which are more expensive and scarce, the group warns.

They want Ottawa to pick up the tab by expanding the federal tackle exchange program across Canada so anglers can upgrade their equipment for free.

“It’s just one more expense,†said O.F.A.H. spokesman Greg Farrant. “‘Quite frankly, anglers and hunters these days have to pass so many tests, pay for so many licences, that a lot of people get out of the sport because they can’t be bothered anymore because of the costs.â€

Moreover, expanding the free exchange program from select fishing shows to the national scale would lure support for lead alternatives like bismuth, clay, or tin, Farrant says.

Bismuth—the most popular non-toxic choice—costs on average about $3 more a pack before taxes. It may not seem like much, but considering it costs about $200 to $300 just to get started, the costs for the avid angler can really add up, Farrant added.

“When you see what the government spends on some of the programs that they run—the cost of something like this—I can’t imagine that it would be more than a few hundred thousand dollars tops to do it nationwide.â€

Not even close, says an official with the Canadian Wildlife Service of Environment Canada. Steve Wendt, a migratory birds conservationist, says considering that about 5.5 million Canadians fish recreationally, such a program easily could cost taxpayers millions.

“It just has not proven to be cost-effective to deal with the problem that way,†Wendt said, although expanding the current program has never been “priced out†or “considered. Besides, he said, the goal of the proposed ban is to protect waterfowl like the loon, who mistake the lost lead gear for the gravel, seeds, or snails that they regularly dine on.

Many also consume lost bait fish with the lures still attached.

When the lead mixes with their stomach acid, it forms a lethal substance.

Across Canada, 72 waterfowl have died from ingested lead poisoning between 1964 and 1999. Wendt says that’s just the “tip of the iceberg†because most poisoned birds aren’t found by researchers.

If the lead doesn’t kill a bird, poisoning can result in loss of balance, inability to fly, trouble feeding, mating, nesting, and caring for young.

The CWS estimates 500 tonnes of lead in the form of sinkers and jigs are lost in Canada annually. Restrictions on the use of lead gear in national parks and wildlife areas have been in place since 1997.

But Tom Brooke, president of the Canadian Sport Fishing Industry Association, says the federal study is “totally bogus,†and that the numbers are wrong.

He doesn’t dispute that lead is bad for the environment, but points out the impact on waterfowl is minute—calling the loon issue “a manufactured crisis.â€

“This is a very emotional issue for us,†Brooke said, noting that unless a five-year phase-in period is provided to cushion manufacturers, mom-and-pop businesses across the country will be devastated—resulting in thousands of lost jobs.

The proposed ban would prohibit the import, manufacture, and sale of fishing sinkers and jigs containing lead.

Recreational fishing pumps about $4.6 billion into the Canadian economy every year, the O.F.A.H. says.

But Brooke and Warrant are more upset that the government acted without consulting industry and angler groups, something Environment Canada denies.

The government will hold additional consultations over the next six months.

For now, the ban would not target possession by individual anglers, but there are no guarantees on the final proposal, Wendt said.

But for his part, angler Fred Geberdt, 62, from Owen Sound, Ont., is concerned that rising costs will cause people to leave the sport.

Most vulnerable, he said, are seniors on fixed incomes who just want to spend the day fishing with their grandchildren—an important part of being Canadian.

“There’s some concerns, let me tell ya,†Geberdt said, although noting that anglers never intend to harm wildlife.

“All of us get snagged up once in a while, but we do or darndest to bring back what we toss out in the water,†he stressed.

http://www.fftimes.com/index.php/4/2004-03-01/17161
 
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