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1. Background information
Lead poisoning in waterbirds through the ingestion of spent
lead shot is a classical example of unwise use of natural
resources. Cartridges for hunting waterfowl each contain
around 30 grams of lead. Only a few of all fired pellets
actually hit the bird, the rest fall to the ground or into
the water. Waterbirds can pick the pellets from the bottom
and ingest them, mistaking them for food items or grit which
is retained in the gizzard to facilitate the grinding of
food. Lead is a highly poisonous metal, causing severe anaemia
and affecting the nervous and circulatory systems, liver
and kidneys. Depending on the amount of pellets swallowed,
birds could die within a few days or weeks. If a bird swallows
only one pellet, it usually survives, although its immune
system and fertility are likely to be affected. Also, even
low concentrations of lead have a negative impact on energy
storage, which affects the ability to prepare for migration.
Conservation and hunting organizations therefore agree that
the use of lead shot for hunting in wetlands should be phased
out.
The African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA)
addresses this issue directly in its Action Plan:
Paragraph 4.1.4 of the AEWA Action
Plan:
Parties shall endeavour to phase out the use of lead
shot for hunting in wetlands by the year 2000.
A series of international update reports on lead poisoning
in waterbirds was produced by Wetlands International in
the past, the latest published in 2000. Their aim was to
identify new developments in this field and to report on
progress made in this issue. Taking note of the outcomes
and recommendations of the update review 2000 the Second
Meeting of the Parties to AEWA, September 2002, Bonn, Germany,
in its Resolution 2.2 on "Phasing out lead shot for hunting
in wetlands", called upon Contracting Parties "to enhance
their efforts to phase out the use of lead shot in wetlands
as soon as possible […] namely, to promote communication between, and awareness
within, authorities and the hunting community; to allocate
resources for the enforcement of relevant laws; and to stimulate
and facilitate the production and availability of non-toxic
shot - and to actively inform themselves on the issue and
its solutions. The same Meeting of the Parties adopted the
International Implementation Priorities 2003 - 2007, one
priority being the continuation of the production of the
update reviews on lead poisoning in waterbirds. This priority
was again adopted as part of the International Implementation
Priorities 2006 - 2008 by the Third Meeting of the Parties
to AEWA, October 2005, Dakar, Senegal.
[…]
1. The Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian
Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA)
The Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian
Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) was concluded under the auspices
of the Convention on the conservation of Migratory Species
of Wild Animals (CMS) on 16 June 1995 in The Hague, the
Netherlands and entered into force on 1 November 1999. Since
then the Agreement is an independent international treaty.
It covers 235 species of birds ecologically dependent on
wetlands for at least part of their annual cycle in Europe,
parts of Asia and Canada, the Middle East and Africa. The
Agreement provides for coordinated and concerted action
to be taken by the Range States throughout the migration
system of waterbirds to which it applies. Of the 119 Range
States (118 countries and the European Community) currently
59 countries 1have become a Contracting Party to AEWA. Parties
to the Agreement are called upon to engage in a wide range
of conservation actions which are describes in a comprehensive
Action Plan. This detailed plan, which is annexed to the
Agreement text and legally binding, addresses key issues
including the management of human activities such as unsustainable
hunting in migratory waterbirds, and especially also the
issue of the use of lead shot for hunting in wetlands:
According to paragraph 4.1.4 of the
AEWA Action Plan
“Parties shall endeavour
to phase out the use of lead shot for hunting in wetlands
by the year 2000”.
Based on this obligation and related resolutions and projects,
which have been adopted by the Meeting of the Parties in
order to meet the set goal, the Agreement has been very
active on the lead poisoning issue since many years:
AEWA Resolutions:
- Relevant resolutions have been adopted respectively
at the First and Second Meeting of the Parties, being
• Resolution 1.14 on phasing out lead shot (1999)
2
• Resolution 2.2 on phasing out lead shot on hunting
in wetlands (2002) 3
AEWA Conservation Guidelines (adopted by MOP1 in
1999):
The issue of lead poisoning is addressed in two of the
AEWA Conservation Guidelines:
- Conservation Guidelines on identifying and tackling
emergency situations for migratory waterbirds 4
- Conservation Guidelines on sustainable harvest
of migratory waterbirds 5
AEWA awareness raising and education activities:
In order to raise awareness on the issue of lead poisoning
in waterbirds, which was not recognized as a problem in
many countries for a long time, the AEWA Secretariat has
undertaken a series of awareness raising and education activities
including regional workshops, the publication of information
material and, latest, the development of relevant international
reviews.
Regional workshops on sustainable hunting (including
the issue of lead shot in theory and practice):
- Romania (2001): This workshop, organized by the AEWA
Secretariat in close cooperation with FACE and with financial
support of CIC and Switzerland, was attended by representatives
of hunters’ organizations in Eastern Europe and
aimed to raise awareness on the impact of lead poisoning
and to make hunters familiar with substitutes for lead
shot through practical instruction sessions.
- Senegal (2004): This workshop, organized by ONCFS,
OMPO and Wetlands International with technical support
from the Senegalese government and co-funding from the
AEWA Secretariat, the Ramsar Bureau, Wetlands International,
CIC and Fédération National des Chasseurs
(France), was attended by representatives of governments,
hunting organizations and conservation NGOs in Western
and Central Africa, which were introduced into the issue
of lead poisoning through a theoretical and a practical
shooting session.
- Tunisia (2006): This workshop was organized in the
framework of the BirdLife’s LIFE project on Sustainable
Hunting of Migratory Birds in the Mediterranean Third
Countries (Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan, Lebanon,
Palestine Authority and the Syrian Arab Republic) and
with co-funding from the AEWA Secretariat. Attended by
representatives of governments, hunting organizations
and NGOs from the region as well as experts from Europe,
it resulted in two regional documents, being the Guidelines
for Sustainable Hunting of Migratory Birds in Mediterranean
Third Countries and a Code of Practice for Responsible
hunting of Migratory birds.
- Jordan (2007): This was the second workshop in the
framework of the BirdLife’s LIFE project on Sustainable
Hunting of Migratory Birds in the Mediterranean Third
Countries, organized with co-funding from the AEWA Secretariat
and attended by representatives of governments, hunting
organizations and conservation NGOs from the region as
well as observers from Iraq, Qatar and Saudi Arabia and
experts from Canada and Europe. One day of the 2-day workshop
was entirely dedicated to the lead shot issue containing
a theoretical and practical shooting session.
Information material:
AEWA National Reports:
In its Resolution 2.2 on phasing out lead shot for hunting
in wetlands the Meeting of the Parties called upon Contracting
Parties to report to each ordinary session of the Meeting
of the Parties on progress made to phase out lead shot.
On the basis of information provided by Parties and Signatories
on phasing out lead shot use in wetlands before the Third
Meeting of the Parties in October 2005 6the AEWA Secretariat
prepared a synthesis report on the issue. Reports were submitted
by 18 Parties and 1 Signatory. According to the information
received lead shot use in wetlands had been phased out by
9 countries, being Kenya 7, Belgium, Denmark, Hungary, Netherlands,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK; it was in progress to be
phased out in 3 countries, being Croatia, Germany and Slovakia;
in 6 countries lead shot had not been phased out yet, namely
in Congo, Tanzania, Ireland, Luxembourg, Macedonia and Slovenia.
Finally, Mauritius reported back that the issue of lead
shot was not an issue of concern in Mauritius.
Although the present review shows that progress in phasing
out the use of lead shot for hunting in wetlands is continuously
being made, it is also clear that still it is a long way
to go in order to have it banned throughout the whole Agreement
area. The AEWA Secretariat will therefore continue its activities
in raising awareness on this issue and urge Parties and
Non-Parties to endeavour phasing out the use of lead shot.
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