Skip to content

The lead shot debate gets even more toxic

Tim Bonner writes: When it began in 2010 the purpose of the Lead Ammunition Group (LAG) was to report to Defra and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) on the risks lead ammunition posed to human and wildlife health and the environment, and to suggest options for managing and communicating those risks. Five years worth of inquiry prompted a report that misrepresented the truth as we saw it, and you will recall that our then-representative on the group, Barney White-Spunner, resigned, alongside half the other members of the group. The report has now been submitted to Defra and the FSA so you could reasonably conclude that the group could disband. Not so. Recent publicly released minutes and correspondence show that the now role-less LAG has become a lobby group bent on a complete ban of lead ammunition. In all of this there is a bit of good news. The LAG report to which we objected is to be peer reviewed, which we welcome as it will highlight the numerous failures of both process and evidence. Knowing that the report cannot be made public until the peer review process is complete, the LAG has released on its website a letter containing its final considerations. This decision seems to have been made to get some of the contents of the report out into the public domain and suggests apprehension towards the peer review process. On submitting an entirely subjective report the LAG has ignored its terms of reference as set by Defra. It has failed and should now cease to exist. For our part, this issue is far from over.
Tim Bonner is Chief Executive Designate of the Countryside Alliance. Follow him on Twitter @CA_TimB

Become a member

Join the Countryside Alliance

We are the most effective campaigning organisation in the countryside.

  • life Protect our way of life
  • news Access our latest news
  • insurance Benefit from insurance cover
  • magazine Receive our magazine