IS THIS THE END OF DROPPING THE LEAD?

RECENTLY published proposals from the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) have called for an immediate ban on the use of lead dropping techniques in angling.

The recommendations come after the ECHA, at the request of the European Commission, assessed the health and environmental risks posed by the use of lead in outdoor sports, with its findings being reviewed by two committees next year. If acted on by the EU Commission and the 27 member states, the commonly-used practice could be banned by as early as 2023.

But will anglers in the UK be impacted? The Angling Trust is keeping a close eye on developments, and its Head of Freshwater, Mark Owen, said: “We are tracking this through the European Anglers Alliance. However, given Brexit, we do not have to follow any ban as it would be up to the Secretary of State to decide if he wishes to follow suit.”

Mark also threw doubt on the impact of angling lead weights on water pollution and believes that with the already existing legislation around lead shot, angling is doing its part.

“With regard to lead in angling, we’re already ahead of the

EU in that we have restricted the sale of lead shot to avoid the size that would be ingested by birds,” he said.

“As a result, we’ve seen no issues with lead poisoning of birds from anglers’ shot in recent years. In water, the bioavailability of lead is virtually zero, so lead sinkers are also not causing a pollution issue.”

Carp Team England manager Rob Hughes supported these sentiments, saying: “This may be a case of angling being caught up in a wider issue. I’d invite the ECHA to provide hard and fast evidence of the environmental damage/risks posed by larger leads, so manufacturers and the community at large can make an informed decision.”

There are some who back the ECHA proposals, however. Simon Pomeroy has been a long-term campaigner for the removal of lead from angling. He told Carpfeed: “I’d be saddened if the sport fails to recognise this issue.”

One thing is certain, this topic doesn’t look to be going away any time soon…