Reason and Pragmatism on Lead are vital

The following article by Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, first appeared in Shooting Times 2nd May 2018.


The threat to lead ammunition has not disappeared. As an organisation that has always stood up for the appropriate use of lead ammunition, this is a good time to reflect on where the Countryside Alliance stands on the issue. We are telling our members that while we will continue to fight for lead as long the evidence supports it and there are no viable alternatives, we are also demanding that all shooters comply with existing restrictions and asking that everyone be open to viable alternatives when they are developed.


The rejection of the Lead Ammunition Group report in 2016, which called for a ban on lead ammunition in the UK, was a win for scientific evidence and for the shooting community. But the threat did not go away, it simply shifted to transnational bodies such as the EU. There are now multiple agencies and organisations seeking routes to further restrict lead ammunition, with a view to an eventual total ban.


The most prominent threat to lead ammunition is the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), who have been directed by the European Commission to harmonise legislation restricting the use of lead shot in wetlands across the EU. The Countryside Alliance has responded to numerous ECHA consultations, and been in touch with them directly, to highlight the flaws in their proposed EU-wide restrictions. We reject the need for harmonisation in the first place, as each country has different hunting cultures and landscapes, but we are specifically arguing against the introduction of restrictions to lead over 'peatlands', the banning of the possession of lead cartridges on or near to wetlands, and the addition of buffer-zones around wetlands.


No one denies the need for restrictions on lead to protect certain species of wildfowl, and the Alliance has been leading calls for improved compliance and better enforcement of the UK's existing legislation. The current European proposals however go way beyond what is practical or necessary in the UK. It is also worth noting that many European nations are far behind the UK in implementing lead restrictions, a situation that surely needs to be addressed before new restrictions are imposed on us.


Of course, the struggle to enforce compliance with existing lead restrictions, both across Europe and here in the UK, does point to a worrying conclusion. The easiest way to prevent lead being used over wetlands is to ban it everywhere, and it is likely that this is what ECHA will eventually propose. That is why the central plank of the Alliance position on lead is the need for everyone to use non-lead ammunition whenever and wherever required to do so by law. If you are using lead illegally, you are contributing to its prohibition.


Although it is tempting to think that Brexit will save us from any future wave of European red-tape, it won't. If Europe acts against lead ammunition during the 'transition period', or even after Brexit, it could cause the UK to do the same regardless of the scientific evidence. A Europe-wide ban would make the sale of shot game into Europe very challenging, and pile political pressure on the UK to follow suit.


None of this is cause for immediate alarm, as the wheels of European legislature turn very slowly. There is, however, a sense of inevitability about the campaigns against lead. This is not going to go away, as vested interests continue to hammer away at lead ammunition from every angle. Despite the lack of new evidence, the calls for total bans continue unabated. This will be a long, drawn-out battle, and it will be essential that the Countryside Alliance is in the front lines calling for reason and pragmatism to defeat alarmism and knee-jerk reactions.


We do need to be aware that public perception is not on the side of lead, and our number one concern has to be making sure every bird we shoot is hungrily snapped up by the food trade. Even though the evidence has not shifted, there is no getting away from market forces, and if consumers decide they want their game lead-free then that is where the market will have to head.


The Countryside Alliance will fight tooth and nail to hold the line against unjustified legislative attacks on lead, because at the moment there are no environmentally-sound alternatives and no new evidence to warrant new legislation. But if legislation is foisted upon us regardless, or if the meat market moves decisively against lead, then we will all have to move on to ensure the multifarious benefits of game shooting are not lost. It is incumbent upon ammunition manufacturers to be preparing for that eventuality, and important that all game shooters are ready to embrace innovation when it comes. Until then, the fight for lead ammunition goes on.