Lead in ammunition and fishing gear

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and a coalition of organizations argue that voluntary measures to reduce lead in ammunition and fishing gear are ineffective. They cite scientific evidence that no safe level of lead exposure exists, posing severe risks to children and wildlife. The document highlights the particular vulnerability of Indigenous communities in Nunavik and James Bay and urges the government to phase out lead products, update Health Canada's blood lead guidelines, and provide financial assistance for Indigenous communities to transition to non-lead alternatives.

• Voluntary approaches to reduce the use of lead in ammunition and fishing gear, based on conversation and encouragement, have been found to be ineffective.
• Scientific consensus from the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that there is no known safe level of lead exposure, particularly for children, where it can cause irreversible neurological and behavioural effects.
• Health Canada's current blood lead intervention levels are described as inadequate because they do not reflect recent scientific evidence showing adverse health effects occur at levels below 10 µg/dL, and potentially below 5 µg/dL.
• Indigenous communities are at a higher risk of lead poisoning due to their reliance on hunting and fishing for food. In Nunavik, a 2004 survey found nearly 10% of individuals and 2% of women of childbearing age had blood lead levels exceeding 10 µg/dL.
• Lead fishing sinkers and jigs are identified as a primary cause of death for breeding common loons in the United States and eastern Canada.
• Non-lead alternatives for ammunition and fishing gear are currently available, effective, and only slightly more expensive than lead-based products.
• The document notes that other jurisdictions have already implemented restrictions, including Denmark's move to ban lead ammunition and California's phase-in ban on lead ammunition by 2019.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2018). Lead in ammunition and fishing gear. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Lead-ammunition-fishing-gear-Final-letter-April-17-2018.pdf

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Lead in ammunition and fishing gear. 2018. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Lead-ammunition-fishing-gear-Final-letter-April-17-2018.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Lead in ammunition and fishing gear |date=17 April 2018 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Lead-ammunition-fishing-gear-Final-letter-April-17-2018.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2018lead, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Lead in ammunition and fishing gear}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2018}, month = apr, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Lead-ammunition-fishing-gear-Final-letter-April-17-2018.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }