What's the Deal??

**rs0i** · 03-09-2010, 10:11 PM

I have recently visited the Tamarack Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center while trying to keep a young blue heron from starving after a big storm in Western Pa. They showed me a number of eagles that they were trying to save that were dying from the effects of lead poisoning. The bald eagles were poisoned from eating fish of course.

Also, there was a special on bald eagles on PBS this year, I think it was on Nature, that documented bald eagle deaths due to lead poisoning.

Ducks and other waterfowl and especially Ospreys were ravaged in certain areas not only from DDT use, but from eating lead pellets deposited in the water from shotgun shells that didn't find their mark.

There isn't a stream, river or lake in the U.S. that doesn't have some toxins present, generally PCBs and Mercury (from Coal burning plants). Just look in the back of the PA Fishing Summary or PFBC site for the Fish Consumption Advisory.

Canada has banned lead shot and sinkers because of its documented effects on wildlife. See two sites below for documentation, and there are more. It is not hard to find.

So why add more lead to the mix when we don't have to??? Use zinc.

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7...6676--,00.html

http://www.cws-scf.ec.gc.ca/index_e.cfm