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[doja]

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/mobile/getting-the-lead-out-wildlife-rescuers-desperate-to-save-bald-eagles-from-being-poisoned-1.5334058

Interesting article. Wonder how much fishers contribute?

Don't post much as I pretty gave up fishing for personal reasons environmental reasons (may do interior lakes as stocks are artificial and sustainable but salmon I don't need to do any more harm as its unnesarry to live well).

Cheers all! ✌️

[typhoon]

"eating fish poisoned by lead sinkers" doesn't make any sense, but it is possible that split shots fall off the line, get eaten by ducks and then ducks get eaten by eagles.
Canada National Parks have banned lead sinkers and jigs smaller than 50 grams. Cost of lead-free weights have dropped quite a bit so maybe it makes sense.

[DanTfisherman]

Interesting story.

At one time about 20 years ago, it was Americans complaining about our use of lead and it's impact on the swans and geese on Sumas Prairie.
I believe we have worked to overcome this issue, improved shotgun shells to be steel shot instead of lead,  and these issues are not a problem any more today if correct.
Swans have come back and are doing really well.

In this case, I am trying to think as to where the lead comes from.
This seems to be a new problem, but if it was really related to lead in fishing related supplies, this would not be new and would be a long term, ongoing issue we would of been dealing with for quite some time..
I do not see it being lead used in river drift fisheries, as that would not make sense.  Lead is not a terminal tackle and is used to get the tackle down to the fish, thus not consumed by the fish.

Even in ocean going fisheries, the only lead I could see making it into fish would be things like lead lures, which a Halibut, Ling cod, or rockfish has bitten, and maybe broke off the lure and swallowed it.
But these lures are usually quite large (I used to use MacDeep's back in the day) and I cannot see an eagle consuming this hard substance while pecking away at a dead fish.

Others?

Dano

[Dave]

This might be of interest ... about 20 years ago DFO’s Science Branch considered a lead toxicity study on the Vedder-Chilliwack system. The issue of possible lead contamination from thousands of kilos of lost or discarded lead fishing weights in the river was raised by anglers, and from that concern a group was struck to look into the issue.
The logistics of such a study was daunting but was seriously being formulated, but it was put to rest when a researcher learned a UBC Doctoral student had been studying dippers and mergansers in the upper Chilliwack River, and part of that work was analyzing their blood for various parameters, including lead.
The results were that lead contamination was not an issue in the sampled birds.

[RalphH]

one thing that has changed in the last several years is the common use of lead jigs, often quite small lead jigs, as fishing lures. Fish can swallow these I bet. The piece of lead featured in the story looked a lot like a split shot. The article also mentions that many of the eagles are likely eat lead bullets from carrion.

I have often wondered where all that lead lost in the V/C goes. Two things may happen I think: 1) it gets moved out into the Fraser during major flood events or 2) it gets buried deep into the stream bed and essentially out of the food chain much like gold...though gold has about 75% higher density19+grams per cubic centimeter versus 11+ grams for lead. All that lead may get dug up and put into concrete or construction preloading from periodic gravel removal, where it can do more damage directly to people.

[Roderick]

Bird shot is pretty small and wounded ducks/geese are perfect targets for eagles. 

[clarki]

When I was a youngster, my .177 pellet air rifle was my constant companion.

To make re-loading easier, rather than reach into my pocket, or the tin, I would stuff a number of lead pellets into my mouth.

In hindsight, that explains a lot of things...

[firebird]

When I was a youngster, my .177 pellet air rifle was my constant companion.

To make re-loading easier, rather than reach into my pocket, or the tin, I would stuff a number of lead pellets into my mouth.

In hindsight, that explains a lot of things...

Similarly, when I was young I used to toss lead cannonball split shot in my mouth before crimping them on the line. Yes, explains a lot. Now, I get worried about the dark stains on the fingers from handling them - the old style of split shot, the new alloys don't seem to be as dirty.