by purdey » Mon May 25, 2009 11:26 pm
Chedda, lead shot is not banned in most countries. It is banned on foreshore, marshland and inland wetlands, but still used widely outside of these areas.
It is banned because of wading birds that feed in silt and hence injest lead shot. Proof of this is not 100% proven, lead poisoning amongst wading birds was virtually nil before the ban came into force.
Steel shot used against wildfowl has been proven to wound far more birds since the lead ban came into effect, but it keeps the anti lobby in check at the expense of causing unecessary suffering to wild birds.