Audubon Society Call to Action to Save Loons

Bald eagles, loons and other aquatic birds are being poisoned
the unnecessary use of lead fishing tackle. Switching to steel
can preserve these birds without changing the fishing
experience.
Photo by Brad Sylvester. Copyright 2012.

I received an email from the NH Audubon Society this mornign and I wanted to repost it here in its entirety (as the text requests that it be redistributed as widely as possible). As you may know, I am an avid bird watcher and I enjoy recreational sport fishing. I have long been an advocate of using steel splitshot instead of lead and avoiding lead tackle of all kinds in order to protect aquatic birds.

Lead tackle ingested by ducks, loons, herons and other aquatic birds poisons and kills them. From a fisherman's viewpoint, I find no difference whatsoever in my ability to fish using steel instead of lead. Steel is roughly 68% of the density of lead. It is more than heavy enough to drag your line down in the water.Adding a tiny amount to the diameter of a steel sinker or heavy-headed jig gets you the same weight without any noticeable difference in size.

A distant loon calling late in the day, herons flying overhead, or a bald eagle sitting high in a tree overhanging the lake, and the other wildlife that can all be poisoned by the use of lead tackle are actually part of what makes fishing enjoyable and relaxing. Insisting on using lead makes no sense. Please take a moment to read the Audubon Society email below and take action to extend the current restrictions on lead tackle in New Hampshire (or your own state).

"Dear Friends of Loons, Senate Bill 224, which would increase protection [for] aquatic birds, particularly loons, from toxic lead fishing jigs will be heard before the House Committee on Fish and Game and Marine Resources this coming Tuesday, April 24, at 1:00 p.m. in the Legislative Office Building in Concord. Your calls, emails and letters to every member of this committee (contact information below) between now and next Tuesday will be the most important thing you can do this year to assure a future for New Hampshire’s loons. Senate Bill 224 as amended by the Senate would leave existing regulations (restricting the use and sale of lead sinkers 1 ounce or less and lead jigs less than 1 inch in length) in place through 2014, and would ban the use of lead-headed jigs less than 2.5 inches in length beginning in January of 2015. Our loon population remains far below historic levels and the number of loon pairs on New Hampshire’s lakes decreased in 2011, after a record-high number of deaths from ingested lead tackle in 2010. This decrease occurred despite record levels of management and outreach in recent years, and continued declines are projected unless mortality from lead poisoning is addressed. We know the toll lead tackle is taking on New Hampshire’s loons because biologists have been monitoring the State’s loon population very closely for many years. Although no specific numbers are available, biologists across North America have also documented lead fishing tackle ingested by Canada Geese, American Black Ducks, Wood Ducks, Great Blue Herons, and Bald Eagles, among other species. It will not be easy to gain the support of the House Fish and Game and Marine Resources Committee in view of the concerted efforts of certain fishing groups and the lead tackle lobby. We need to work harder than ever to bring this bill out of committee with a convincing vote and then on to the final stage, a vote by the full House. Your help with the following actions will make all the difference in securing these critical protections for our loons and other water birds: 1. Please contact as many of the House Fish and Game and Marine Resources Committee members as you can between now and next Tuesday, April 24th to express your support for loons, waterfowl, and the important protections in SB 224. 2. If you can, please attend the hearing and sign in as supporting the bill, whether or not you choose to testify. 3. Please distribute this email as widely as you can to friends of loons and other wildlife in New Hampshire. Numbers matter in the House; the more people committee members hear from, the more likely they will take our concerns to heart and vote to save loons and other wildlife from this needless cause of death. Next Tuesday will be a critical day for loons in New Hampshire. I hope I will be able to report that loons won out over toxic lead fishing tackle. It’s in our power to make it so. Thank you for your continued support of our loons! Note that the below are home phone numbers as representatives do not have offices. House Fish & Game and Marine Resources Committee Chairman: Clifford Newton- (603) 332-5643 V. Chairman: Dennis Reed- dreed1@msn.com; (603) 934-6607 Clerk: Joe Duarte- joe.duarte@leg.state.nh.us; (603) 483-8454 Betsy McKinney- betsy.mckinney@leg.state.nh.us; (603) 432-5232 Michael McCarthy-michael.mccarthy@leg.state.nh.us; (603) 598-4966 Tyler Simpson- Tsimpson.rep@gmail.com; (603) 968-9285 James Webb- james.webb@leg.state.nh.us; (603) 845-3454 Benjamin Lefebvre- bplefebvre@gmail.com; (603) 677-2722 Lyle Bulis- (603) 444-5024 Leo Pepino- l.pepino@leg.state.nh.us; (603) 624-1476 Norman Tregenza- norman.tregenza@leg.state.nh.us; (603) 733-6736 Daniel Carr- daniel.carr@leg.state.nh.us; (603) 239-6830 Dick Patten- dickpatten17@gmail.com; (603) 228-1803 Elisabeth Sanders- (603) 642-5070 Richard Okerman- rep.rokerman@gmail.com; (603) 893-7705 Marc Tremblay- marc.tremblay@leg.state.nh.us; (603) 752-1995 David Watters- david.watters@leg.state.nh.us; (603) 749-4539 Jenna Roberts- jenna.roberts@leg.state.nh.us; (603) 868-7402"