A Political Post….that should be deleted.

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THREE REASONS TO OPEN THE FISHING SEASON WITH LEAD-FREE TACKLE

For immediate release: May 10, 2007

Contact: Walker Smith, 651-297-7018

Editor’s note: Images related to this subject are available at http://www.pca.state.mn.us/oea/reduce/sinkers-images.cfm

Saint Paul, Minn. — The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency encourages anglers to start the summer right by switching to lead-free fishing tackle for the Minnesota fishing opener. Lead is a toxic metal that has adverse effects on the nervous and reproductive systems of mammals and birds.

First, help protect our state and national birds. Lead poisons wildlife such as loons and eagles that inadvertently swallow tackle made from lead. Specifically, loons dive to the bottom of lakes in search of stones to grind their food, where they can swallow lead sinkers. Like loons, eagles can ingest lead by swallowing fish with a lead sinker or jig still attached to or in its body.

Second, using lead-free tackle is a great way to teach good stewardship to young anglers. Outfit kids’ tackle boxes with non-lead weights. They are nontoxic and safer for youngsters to handle. Plus, inexperienced anglers tend to lose the most sinkers, so you’ll be cutting down on the amount of lead left behind. Even if you lose just one lead sinker every time you go fishing, it adds up thousands of pounds when multiplied by the millions of Minnesotans who wet a line each season.

Third, your tackle box will be ready for any fishing trip. In a growing number of areas outside Minnesota, non-lead tackle isn’t just a good idea – it’s the law. Restrictions and bans of lead fishing sinkers and jigs are becoming more common in the United States and other countries.

Ask for lead-free tackle at your local sporting goods or bait and tackle store. Visit http://www.reduce.org for more information and a list of Minnesota locations where lead-free tackle is available.

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Broadcast version
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency encourages anglers to start the season right by switching to lead-free fishing tackle. Lead is a toxic metal that has adverse effects on the nervous and reproductive systems of mammals and birds. Traditionally used in fishing jigs and sinkers, this metal can poison wildlife such as loons and eagles that inadvertently swallow tackle made from lead.

Ask for lead-free tackle at your local sporting goods or bait and tackle store or visit http://www.reduce.org for more information and a listing of Minnesota locations where lead-free tackle is available.

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I’m a BIG supporter of our DNR…but I don’t get why they are promoting “the lead free alternative”?

DaveB…you need to have a talk with these guys!

If I am reading this right the DNR is not doing this add, it is the MPCA that is calling for the lead free. Atleast in this article.

I have stopped fishing, driving cars, heating or cooling my home, etc. I have been toilet paper free for 6 weeks now (I get a lot more personal space when I shop). I will not be responsible for the destruction of mankind via global warming or creating ANY increased demand for toxic petroleum products.

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I have stopped fishing, driving cars, heating or cooling my home, etc. I have been toilet paper free for 6 weeks now (I get a lot more personal space when I shop). I will not be responsible for the destruction of mankind via global warming or creating ANY increased demand for toxic petroleum products.

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Ha! I did one better… I stopped breathing so I wouldn’t give off so much carbon d#$(*^&(#)$)#)%@………….****No Carrier****

Guys: First of all, I would not consider this a political post; not sure where someone got that notion. The reasons the MPCA and other anglers like myself prefer non-lead alternatives is because 1) There are alternatives more effective for providing weight with today’s metals (Tungsten, Steel, Bismuth) 2) Lead is poisinous. Now, so are a lot of other things in life, but since there are better options, many of us prefer to us them.

While an alternitive to lead is probaly good, there is not any scientic data to support the claim that loons, eagles ect. die of lead poisioning. There is a much greater chance of them being hit by a car. Should we quit driving?

Also many say lead is bad, but how many alternitive are there?

I don’t generally use lead so I don’t have much vested interest in this subject. However with all the other crap going on that will harm our fisheries and wildlife this just seems stupid to me. This has the smell of PETA all over it.

An animal swallowing lead….wouldn’t that be like a child swallowing a coin? Wont take long and it will come out the other end. I wouldn’t think it would be in there long enough to do much damage, but Im no expert either

I can understand why Briank is not happy. He uses 4 oz (bigger and smaller) no-roll sinkers that he makes himself.
His expenses to catfish will go up dramatically if he can’t use lead. And those huge lead weights aren’t being ingested by anything. BRIAN’S OX IS BEING GORED! I’m not real thrilled with the ban on lead that is coming either.

dd

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An animal swallowing lead….wouldn’t that be like a child swallowing a coin? Wont take long and it will come out the other end. I wouldn’t think it would be in there long enough to do much damage, but Im no expert either

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Birds have a gizzard…..this stores small stones and such to grind their food…they have no teeth..so small lead sinkers stay.
Most proposed lead bans I’ve seen are for the smaller sizes…not the larger sizes….

This was an email sent out from the MN DNR.

The DNR focuses of facts and data …or at least tries to in their policies, rules and regulations.

Wheather a person is for…or against the use of lead there isn’t any scientific data to support it. This leads me to believe there are lobbyists behind this…I have no proof…but what else is left?

My catfishing sinkers aren’t included in these ban proposals….yet. But they will be at some point.

To sum up my view:

Personally, I don’t think it’s the MN DNR’s responsiblity to take one side or the other on this or anyother topic without hard facts.

anybody who does the research needed will see the numbers of birds that have died from lead do not justify a lead ban. there is an agenda at work here.

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anybody who does the research needed will see the numbers of birds that have died from lead do not justify a lead ban. there is an agenda at work here.

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From what I saw on the news tonight, MN is going to ban everything until Farting is polution and you will be charged with assult.

lead is poisonous…reason enough to get rid of it, look at all the kids that get lead poisoning from paint in houses.

I am looking for those kids, I dont see any. Can you show me one?

You’re right!

It’s those dang plumbers behind all of this! Mike W? Are you funding this attack on lead!

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anybody who does the research needed will see the numbers of birds that have died from lead do not justify a lead ban. there is an agenda at work here.

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Only if loons are the poster child. This spring, a small lake/pond west of the Twin Cities metro had 12 dead Trumpeter Swans, all found with lead shot in their gizzards.

These are not a high populous bird and whether it’s shotshell lead or sinker lead, it’s what killed them.

We don’t have to be PETA supportive to be good stewards for the world around us. When we make a discovery of doing harm, why do so many fuss about making the change? No fish is worth the absence of Trumpeter Swans, or Eagles, or Loons. Simply use up the shot you have and begin using alternatives when you’re able.

Why legislate a ban? Because too many wouldn’t care enough to make the change on their own. Pick a topic. Insert sentence.

As for Eagle data, there’s been cases shown over the last 30 years where consumed birds killed by lead, killed the Eagle, the Vulture, the Condor, etc.,……. A few cases of birds that died showing similar data are believed to have come from the fish that still had lead in it or with it. Again, the birds think it’s just another rock in needs to ingest.

Why do we duck hunt with steel shot today? Pheasant hunt with lead alternatives in protected areas? It’s all the same.

BTW – DAVEB, the reason you can’t find those kids is because parents have finally taught their children to stop licking the walls!

Ken, I feel I am a good steward…I also feel that it’s not the DNR’s job to promote anything with out the facts. For or against…it doesn’t matter.

The story you’ve cited indicates shot shell lead…that is banned already.

St Cloud paper<<

BrianK,

I feel you’re a good steward too. But try and try the best we can, we all know that we can’t control everything. If we could, we’d never have a bad hook set. The fish would never get off. We’d never lose a lure.

The data is borrowed because lead is lead. If you ban shotshell, why would you permit split shot, that can in fact be sold in sizes small enough to be used as shotshell shot?

The DNR’s job is to protect resources. If they feel this is a move in accomplishing preservation, then they should certainly be promoting it. I mean, if this doesn’t qualify, they shouldn’t be promoting safe dietary guidelines for fish consumption either. How about regulating bait waste? I know where those minnows come from so why can’t I dump them back in there?

This is another promotion aiding a cause. Again, if shotshell has been proven to be a killer, why do we continue to ignore the probabilities of split shot? Lead in the water is simply lead in the water. I know that nobody puts it in there on purpose, but we STILL put it in there.

We strongly promote catch and release yet we’re going to get up in arms over using lead? It’s all part of the same bigger picture. Preservation and stewardship. If there’s a better alternative, why not use it? And why is it wrong to promote it?

I tell ya, ya send the kids to school and all they want to do is eat the teacher.

I guess if the necks of the swans were 18 feet long…there would be a case for banning lead sinkers.

Lead is in the earth, should we extract it all and store it some place so it doesn’t leach into our waters? But it’s not the leaching…it’s the lead pellets that have been banned for 20 plus years.

I just have to wonder how many fishing sinkers end up in areas that an average of 96 could be found in anythings gizzard.

Don’t forget about the loon photo from a few years ago showing lead sinkers in the xray…proclaiming lead poisoning. Turned out to be a hoax.

It sure would be nice if they would come up with a less expenisive alternative for once.

Again, wheather your for or against…it’s no business of the DNR to promote anything without facts. There are no facts for fishing sinkers.