Wildlife groups call for lead ban acceleration

Shooting organisations have argued that there is no reason for timelines to be “accelerated” after a number of wildlife charities called on the Government to ban the sale and use of lead ammunition. 

The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), RSPB, Wildlife & Countryside Link, Chem Trust and Wild Justice, among others, sent an open letter to Environment Secretary Steve Reed earlier this month, requesting an 18-month transition period for a lead ammunition sales ban. The charities argue that discarded lead shot is contaminating food chains and have urged Mr Reed to bring in a “swift and comprehensive ban” to protect the health of people, wildlife and pets. 

In 2020, the shooting community entered a voluntary agreement to phase out lead shot within five years but, according to the WWT, lead poisoning still kills up to 100,000 waterbirds in the UK each winter. 

In December 2024, the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published its recommendations on lead ammunition, including a ban on lead shot for quarry and target shooting. Lead ammunition has already been phased out in wetlands across the EU and UK. 

Dr Julia Newth, a WWT expert on the impact of lead in birds, said Mr Reed had a “unique opportunity to end the poisoning of tens of thousands of animals every year with the stroke of a pen.” 

Lord Browne of Ladyton, one of the signatories, said a ban was “not merely desirable, but essential” and would end “years of delay and indecision”. 

A spokesman for Defra responded: “This Government supports shooting that is sustainable and conducted in full accordance with the law. The use of lead shot in England is already prohibited in specific circumstances, including some sites of special scientific interest, like wetlands. We have received the Health and Safety Executive’s final opinion on further restrictions on lead in ammunition and are assessing the proposals before making a final decision in due course.” 

Terry Behan, BASC’s spokesman on lead, told ST: “This was never going to be an overnight switch. This was a lengthy, open consultation with ample opportunity for feedback. 

“The proposed restrictions were based on evidence, and stakeholders understood that a shorter timeframe was not achievable nor realistic. It is now for ministers to weigh up those findings. There is no reason for the timelines to be accelerated.”