A few years ago, I attended a stakeholder input meeting put on by a California state agency that was looking at a plan to ban the use of lead in a great many products across many industries. For many industries’ products, I had little to say because I’m not an expert in that field, though it struck me odd how those products might cause any damage to wildlife. I’m pretty knowledgeable about the world of critters, and I didn’t see connections.
Then came the part about banning lead in fishing weights and lures. That’s where things got a little squirrely (with apologies to my real-life squirrel friends). After considerable questioning by some of us professional anglers in the workshop, it was apparent that no scientific study has ever been conducted in California that would describe potential harm to wildlife and justify such a draconian and harmful ban.
I can understand contemplating the potential issues of lead shot in shotgun shells used near shallow waterways where ducks might ingest the tiny round shot. But to ban 1-ounce to 16-ounce or greater lead fishing weights or banning the use of lead in large lures doesn’t make sense, nor does it solve any problem that we have learned about with peer-reviewed science performed with wildlife that we have here in California.
As an owner of a fishing charter boat and a bait-and-tackle shop, I can say with certainty that no other products exist that can serve the needs of the fishing community with the combination of performance and cost like lead does. Other materials are too large to have the same weight, or they are cost prohibitive.
In other words, the unneeded lead ban would cause severe financial burden to entire fishing and fishing-related industries and communities. This was going to be a devastating ban with no demonstrable benefit.
Angler and industry organizations moved quickly on this. The American Sportfishing Association, the Coastal Conservation Association California Chapter, the California Sportfishing League and others signed petitions, lobbied and did everything they could to block a bill (AB 2787) that would put the lead ban into effect.
The combined community efforts were successful, and the lead fishing tackle ban bill was gutted and is dead for now. But we must watch for it to come up again in the future and be ready to mobilize to stop any resurrected bill that harms industries and communities but doesn’t accomplish anything important in the wilds.
— Capt. David Bacon operates WaveWalker Charters and is president of SOFTIN Inc., a nonprofit organization providing seafaring opportunities for those in need. Visit softininc.blogspot.com to learn more about the organization and how you can help. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.
