Swans & Lead Poisoning Update

very interesting and informtive article as bruno broughton involved then as n angler can't doubt its impartiality, have to say accept the validity of most of the findings -would be hard to disprove and reinforces that angling must be a genuine conservation and education body in order to advance and survive, also supports need for anglers and clubs to get involved in local and regional River trusts and bio-diversity partnerships and emphasises need for angling unity.

however, i find some of the conclusions as to 'probable causation' at odds with reality in certain areas;

on reflection some of the conclusions of the survey bear consideration,
that lead was probably used as hand me down tackle and was concentrated in areas used by children during sckool holidays as stated- does'nt hold water.
1.tackle is cheap nowadays- certainly have'nt noticed youngsters using antiquated tackle or fishing the float on running water- they want carp and are into matt hayes, etc. so blaming kids is a bit below the belt as have seen them blamed for litter at a lake near a cararavan park when the kids were highly conservation minded and tidy -the holiday makers were'nt- as i personally witnessed.
2.even eastern europeans bringing over tackle - a bit unlikely! would hardly be using large shot or float tactics.
3. how do you distinguish between old shot -pre 1987 and 'new' if any?
4. privatisation of water control and pollution monitoring is near and so in practice is new partnerships nd funding relationships between the EA, LOCAL COUNCILS , DEFRA AND WATER COMPANIES.
-It is noticeable that the framework for water and RBDir are in situ with prioritised targets.
Political machinations between the\ above with the anglers as a convienient expedient scapegoat- ok there are both litter and discrded tackle issues here, as well as e.europeans, but given that the sites identified are not used exclusively by anglers and in sites visited by the publ;ic at large - so maybe these findings and conclusions suggest other factors as yet unidentified or politically at odds from findings condusive to outlined priorities?

Adrian we already have a thread on this, one of the most significant factors is lead produced for the angling industries is less than 1% of that produced for the shooting fraternity, basically we are being stitched up, again mate and we are too apathetic to challenge it. I believe there is also problems analysing swans for lead poisoning in relation to other metalic environmental pollutants.

This update is <u>SIX</u> years old!

yeah I know mate but it needs to be said/forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif

It's a political roundabout, it's our (angling) turn now. strangley just as the river season starts. next it'll be how we are all litter louts urinating all over the place

yeah good one John, lets get back to litter louts, scum of the earth

in my local area many reports lie 'fallow' until sometime over a decade for their expediency to become 'relevant', i could give you a lengthy list...

Have been fishing on the Dane valley on more that one occasion when the water has been peppered with falling shot from a gun fired some distance off (thank goodness). +Several shots = 100 pellets in the river at a stroke

Ref Lead Shot/Guns.

One local Fisherman/Shooter told me on an "average" shoot he would use 100 Cartridges. This ,he estimated puts somewhere near 3 LBS or more of lead shot into the environment of the size that Angling banned over 22 years ago. Makes you think don't it !!!!

If you take an average shot capacity of one ounce (hunting rounds may be more, trap/skeet/practice rounds may be less), you get some idea of the scale of things. Shot sizes are generally in the3-8 size range.

As an ex. UK FAC holder, and regular shooter, who was affected very badly by both the self-loading rifle ban and the pistols bans, I would think twice about pointing the finger at another minority sport/pastime without first obtaining 100% concrete evidence.

In these trouble times of illegal invasions of countries, supporting of outlaw countries (the US after refusing to heed the UN World Court),Browns brown shirts (The Police 'Service'), and neighbours spying on one another, I am reminded of a famous 1960's quoteabout the Third Reich

'First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me--
and there was no one left to speak out for me.'

We should aim to be more tolerant of others.

P.S.

Here's link detailing the bans already in place on lead shot for hunting:

http://www.basc.org.uk/content/nontoxicshot

Incidentally, does anyone else think it's unwise naming anglings new united body after the infinately more famous FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft)?

Please believe me when l say l am not pointing any fingers at anyone, more trying to make the statement that lead poisonong is,or should be, no longer used by people like Ms Halligan to get these bans impossed.

We (both anglers and shooters) need to get the EA to launch research of the river environment just to see how much lead is actually in there in a given stretch of water and at what depth etc.( Jan Halligan sends the contents of dead Swans, l believe, to Warwick Universityfor Isotronic analysis) so if she can do it, why can,t the EA ?

Just to compound what Ms Halligan is saying about us.

Suggest everyone visits"Bewdley Town Council/Minutes of meetings" and reads the one dated 31 March 2008. Look at item 6372.

Then look at Public Period at the very end." 65 Swans rescued at Bewdley last year ". If that was the case there would have been a NATIONAL outcry. and then a further "35 this year." There wouldn,t be any left !!!

a stitch up, its obvious