Swan Poisoned by Angler's Lead Weight

[Anderoo]

As for all the stuff about livebaiting, keepnets etc and animal activists, I will not change what I do to appease people who are so far from reality that they would dig up someone's dead granny to punish them for breeding guinea pigs.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/4762481.stm

 

Me neither. Obviously. What I actually said was:

 

'To be honest I wasn't really thinking about anti-anglers; I'm not at all bothered what they think of angling. It's the general public that's important to have on-side.'

 

You can still buy lead shot in size 8 and smaller. And well done if you can get it off your line in a reusable state, I have to bite mine off and throw it away (no, not in the water )

 

I think we're our own worst enemy. As in warfare, football, and indeed life, you sometimes need to retreat a bit to forge an advance. People in general have very little idea what actually goes on in the fishing world. Those who oppose fishing are very, very good at marketing and misinformation. If you remove, voluntarily, those items which would undoubtedly become the focus of a serious campaign, Mr and Mrs Middle England are much less likely to have a strong opinion. Cruelty, in whatever form, is simply not tolerated these days. It doesn't matter whether Mr and Mrs Middle England's opinions are based on fact or emotion, they still have a vote.

 

Anyway, as I said, this is just my opinion and I will always stand up for fishing in general.

 

EDIT: please no-one start down the 'PC looney' route!

Edited June 1, 2006 by Anderoo

[kleinboet]

Can someone tell me how long the lead shot ban has been in place?

These unproved statements that the press publish really should be challenged in court and the press should be told we don't want a three line apology on page 23, but we want a "substantial" amount of money given to the EA or some other organisation that helps anglers!!

[ColinW]

Anderoo, I can get the lead shot I have on and off very easily, which is precisely why I want to use them. Don't forget that "way back when" there were many different types of real lead shot, different depths of cut, different shapes etc, some good, some as bad as the lead free ones, and I think the chances of me finding any good ones again are slim to none! Hence, I look after the ones I've got.

I'd like to know what the "swan lovers" think is happening to the tons of lead which was spread around the countryside by anglers and shooters in less enlightened times. Do they think lead somehow dissolves in the rain? If so, I can assure them it doesn't. The water pipe which has been feeding my house for the last 130 years is still as solid as the day it was put in. The shot which allegedly made this swan ill could easily be of a similar vintage. We "retreated a bit" years ago by voluntarily banning lead weights in all the sizes that we were told did damage to wildlife. There is no reason for us to back down any further. Accept the fact that some of the people working in swan resue centres HATE US and will not be happy whatever we do. I can clearly remember one guy saying on the TV that he "prefers swans to human beings". Says it all.

[Ken L]

It doesn't matter how long the sale of lead has been banned for. You wouldn't have a leg to stand on in court.

So the guy said that he thinks that lead fishing weights should be banned.

* Swanns are migratory so did he mean banned in the UK or worldwide ?

* Lead fishing weights are only banned in certain sizes. Did he meam that thhe banned size range should be extended.

* The use of lead weights is currently unrestricted if the lead forms an intragal part if a (for example) lure. Did he mean that the scope of the current law needs to be changed ?

* The use of lead is unrestricted in saltwater and lots of Swanns feed in estuaries. Did he mean that this aspect of the law meeds changing ?

 

Unless he's been very specific, you'd never get a procecution.

[argyll]

It doesnt really matter how long the lead ban has been in place. Lead shot is still there buried in the river bottom for the occasional swan to grub out and swallow. There must be tons of the stuff lying around from a century or so of fishing. The media know this...since the point has been made often enough. Unfortunately it makes less sensational reading than 'ban lead weights'

 

As an aside and back to the 'swans and ducks are there all of the time..we're just visiting'

 

Far too much of the wildlife on our rivers and ponds are just visiting too. The middle thames has now more than its fair share of Canada geese which can strip a large area of river of vegetation in a very short time and drive native birds off the water. Their droppings foul the water ..and my moored boat....and they have swiftly become a nuisance to all river users. Only recently have the EA started to react and make positive steps to reduce the population....and all that in spite of the do-gooders. Which brings me to the second point. My marina bans 'bird feeding' and for good reason. At weekends you'll still find idiots on their boats throwing copious quantities of bread and waste food for the mallards, coots and assorted swans, geese and ducks that come into the marina to feed. Unfortunately come autumn when the boat owners have all retired to their warm city apartments, the birds are no longer fed. Natural food is already at a premium and probably more than half of that year's new chicks die from starvation. Its hard to teach a young bird to fend for itself when it's been weaned on a diet of bread and kitchen scraps.

Edited June 1, 2006 by argyll

[Steve Walker]

Lead shot in the sizes thought to poison waterfowl was banned in 1987. Please use the BBC's feedback form to urge them to mention this in the story.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/newswatch/ukfs/hi/ne...200/3955259.stm

[kleinboet]

Someone mentioned in passing and it clicked with me. I know where the swan got its lead! All these Duck hunters blasting away with shotguns! Where does the lead shot go that missed the target?

My bet it ends up in the bottom of the water!! So who's to blame? Anglers or shootists. If they can blame anglers when lead has been banned for nearly 20 years, why haven't they looked at shotgun pellets?

[BoozleBear]

Lets not forget that we are VISITORS at fisheries. The Swans, Ducks etc LIVE there. it is thier home.

 

We, as responsible anglers, should be doing our utmost to protect this environment and its wildlife.

 

It makes me so angry when I see "anglers" being aggressive towards the local wildlife because they cannot seem to cope with them, perhaps they should find a new hobby, like binge drinking or playing with the traffic.

 

We as anglers have a duty to protect our wondeful countryside and that definately includes the residents (wildlife) if not, then we deserve all the flack that we get IMO. As it is not just about catching fish. It is so much more than that.

 

Glad to hear that the swan is recovering

 

Spot on.

[Zaphod]

Someone mentioned in passing and it clicked with me. I know where the swan got its lead! All these Duck hunters blasting away with shotguns! Where does the lead shot go that missed the target?

My bet it ends up in the bottom of the water!! So who's to blame? Anglers or shootists. If they can blame anglers when lead has been banned for nearly 20 years, why haven't they looked at shotgun pellets?

 

 

A blerluudy good point, well made

[gozzer]

A blerluudy good point, well made

 

It would be a good point, but not at the water in question. As I said in an earlier post, it's a lake with a yachting club, a canoe club, and no shooting. The lake side is used by the general public out for a stroll or walk the dog. There is a BMX track to one side, and a swing park at the other. So shooting is out of the question in this case.