“Throw birds a lifeline and ban toxic lead ammunition”, wildlife experts urge government

7 January 2025

Charities, campaigners and parliamentarians are urging the government to end years of delay and decades of poisoning by bringing in a swift, complete ban on the sale and use of toxic lead ammunition in Great Britain.

WWT, RSPB, Wildlife and Countryside Link, CHEM Trust and Wild Justice have together penned their signatures in an open letter to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed, calling for a transition period towards a full lead ban of no more than 18 months.

Long-delayed recommendations on the use of lead ammunition by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) were finally published in December 2024. The government now has three months to make a decision that could end the era of lead ammunition for good.

Dr Julia Newth, an expert on the impact of lead on birds, at WWT said:

“Lead blasted into the environment through shooting is poisoning our wildlife and wetlands. It contaminates our food chain and pollutes our soil for generations to come.

“Environment Secretary Steve Reed has a unique opportunity to end the poisoning of tens of thousands of animals every year with the stroke of a pen, by bringing in a full and swift ban on the sale and use of lead ammunition.”

The Lord Browne of Ladyton, parliamentary champion on lead ammunition awareness, said:

“A ban on lead ammunition is not merely desirable, but essential, if we are to protect the health of people, wildlife and pets. This is a real opportunity for the Government to show leadership by ending years of delay and indecision.”

With European Union (EU) Member States set to review their own restrictions on the sale and use of lead ammunition, the letter points to the unique opportunity the UK Government has to deliver groundbreaking legislation and save up to 100,000 waterbirds a year from slow, painful deaths caused by lead poisoning.

Lead is toxic and has been poisoning our countryside for decades, as a result of lead ammunition pellets discarded from shooting. Every year, 7,000 tonnes – about the weight of the Eiffel Tower – of poisonous lead is scattered into our environment.

Birds often mistake tiny shot pellets for grit or seeds and eat them. Sick or dead birds are taken quickly by scavengers and predators, often making their deaths ‘invisible’ to shooters and the wider public.

WWT estimates that up to 400,000 waterbirds, including migratory Bewick’s and Whooper swans, suffer from this kind of poisoning every winter in the UK.

Lead shot is also often left in birds and other game that make their way to sale – which is a cause of contamination on consumers’ plates.

Katie-Jo Luxton, Global Conservation Director at RSPB, said:

“Decades after toxic lead was banned in petrol and paints, a ban on its use in ammunition is beyond overdue. We need Environment Ministers in the Westminster, Welsh, and Scottish Governments to take decisive and swift action to end its sale and use across Great Britain.  Any further delays are simply unacceptable.”

Matt Browne, Director of Policy and Advocacy for Wildlife and Countryside Link, said:

“Widespread poisoning caused by lead ammunition adds another pressure point for hard-pressed species and is a cause of contamination for consumers.

“Wildlife cannot afford more years of dither and delay. It’s time for the Government to act and remove this pollutant from the environment, granting a reprieve for waterbirds and other affected species. To recover nature, we must stop spreading poison across our countryside.”