Luxembourg's Environment Minister Carole Dieschbourg, took stock of its use after a parliamentary question from François Benoy and Stéphanie Empain.
In Luxembourg, a grand-ducal regulation prohibits "the use of lead shot within 30 metres from marshes, lakes, ponds, reservoirs, rivers and canals". In contradiction, lead is a frequent component of most bullets used for hunting: "The quantity of lead introduced into the environment during hunting is estimated at around 550 kilos per year," writes Carole Dieschbourg. A quantity which "has only slightly increased in recent years".
As for its environmental impact, it is more difficult to assess because "it is a point source of contamination". An analysis carried out each year on domestic and wild animals have shown "no abnormal trend" in relation to lead. In short, however, Dieschbourg argues that "lead bullets are very questionable from an ecotoxicological point of view."
There could be an alternative: The Nature and Forests Administration has noted that non-toxic based bullets perform just as well as lead ammunition, and that in the end their performance is based on the hunter's skill. Overall, then, they could be a great alternative, says the minister.
For fishing, lead balls in the form of ballast are not prohibited in Luxembourg. There is little data available on metal in the aquatic ecosystem, admits Dieschbourg, despite the Water Management Authority carrying out monitoring programmes.
The authorities write: "The rate of lead poisoning in fishing equipment has not been evaluated or documented in the context of a study or scientific research in Luxembourg. It is therefore difficult to determine the impact of lead originating from fishing tackle on aquatic flora and fauna organisms in general."
In 2018, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) estimated "that more than 14,000 tonnes of lead are dispersed each year in the European Union's land environment through munitions, as well as 2,000 to 6,000 tonnes through lead weightings for fishing lines." In addition, 5,000 tonnes of lead are reportedly released into EU wetlands each year as part of hunting and outdoor shooting sports, write the Green deputies.
And humans can also be collateral victims: "Ingestion of lead residues in game killed with lead ammunition can also affect human health."
