Lead sinker law info

[Tired of Waiting]

Just thought I share this info:

Lead Sinkers (SB 487): The House Fish & Game Committee will hear public
testimony on SB 487 on April 6, 2004 at 10:20am in Room 307 of the Legislative Office Building. The bill would ban the sale and use of small lead sinkers and jigs in New Hampshire.

ToW

[Tyler]

this is simply another in a long line of feel good legislation. The (NHLA) New Hampshire Lakes Association supports this bill. Anything they support the citizens of NH ought to be very wary of as they have an agenda which is not in the best interest of NH. PLEASE vote this down. Thank you.

[Lin]

I think this is a pretty selfish statement. Lead sinkers are one of the reasons for the Loon mortality rate. By the way our entire family fish and we switched from lead sinkers years before any laws were attempted.

[Grant]

While the lead sinkers were cheap and convenient, they are highly toxic to loons, mergansers, and any toher creatures that ingest them. There are lots of good (albeit more costly) non-lead alternatives. The steel bullets weights, for example, are great for Carolina or Texas rigs -- just gotta use a little bulkier weight. If it preserves the loons, I'm all for it!

[Rattlesnake Gal]

A friend of mine who happens to be an avid bass fisherman, told me the reason that lead weights are a problem is because a loon picks up little rocks and holds them in their gullet for digestion. They keep them there for long periods of time. Therefore poisoning them. Loons can't tell that they have picked up a piece of metal or a rock. He also stated that the larger lures which are legal to use would just pass through without harming them. That is why there is a length issue with longer lures allowed. Can anyone confirm this? I looked around briefly, but didn't find anything about it. They just state that lead is toxic without explanation. I am very curious.

[angler]

Like most of my angling friends, I am a conservationalist at heart. I support a lead sinker ban because it's not good public policy to put a toxic metal in our waters. I have been using non-lead alternatives for the last 5 years and find them just as effective if not more effective than lead fishing tackle. It should be noted that the Loon Preservation Committee has published a study in cooperation with Tufts University that shows that 1/2 of all the loons that die in NH, die from lead poisoning. At some point we need to move away from lead and keep it out of our children's tackle boxes. We must balance our lake experience with lake ecology. Furthermore, New Hampshire Lakes Association (who did not offer this legislation, it was offered by the Audubon Society of NH) is a wonderful organization. They have represented lake interests with a balanced and fair approach - by improving public access to our lakes, ensuring long term water quality, securing funding to combat invasive aquatic species (that threaten our fish populations). They are deeply concerned with the interests of the angling community. The bottom line is that it is time to do away with lead. This bill would only ban lead sinkers less than one ounce and lead jigs less than one inch long on all inland fresh waters.....we've all lived with it since the bill first passed in 1999.....my fishing experience has not been effected at all. Thank you.

[Bear Guy]

Is there an environmentally friendly way of disposing of lead sinkers? Although I have not gone fishing in ten years, I still have a small collection of lead sinkers in my tackle box. I have no intention of using them, and would like to get rid of them so no one else will in the future. I am looking for a service that would accept these toxic materials and deal with them appropriately. Any suggestions are appreciated.

[Lin]

I copied this out of the NH Fish and Wildlife site under fishing, Get the Lead out. It says you can drop off lead sinkers at their offices.



Keep Getting the Lead Out -- It's the Law!

Loons and other waterbirds can die from lead poisoning after swallowing lead fishing sinkers and jigs lost by anglers. In fact, according to the Loon Preservation Committee, poisoning from lead fishing tackle accounts for 52 percent of mortalities among adult and immature loons from 1976 through 2000. That’s by far the largest single cause of adult loon mortality in New Hampshire.
State law prohibits the use of lead sinkers and jigs in freshwater lakes and ponds in New Hampshire. The ban prohibits the use of lead sinkers weighing 1 ounce or less and lead jigs less than 1 inch long along its longest axis.

What you can do:

Use non-lead sinkers and jigs. It’s the law.
Ask your local sporting goods store to stock non-lead fishing tackle.
Spread the word. Tell other anglers about the problem with lead.
Dispose of old lead sinkers and jigs properly. Drop-off locations include all N.H. Fish and Game offices and hatcheries.
The law is intended to protect loons and other diving waterbirds that can accidentally ingest toxic lead sinkers as they pick pebbles up from lake bottoms. The pebbles grind food in the birds' gizzards to help their digestion.

Anglers can safely dispose of their old lead sinkers and jigs at:

All Fish and Game regional offices (Concord, Durham, Keene, Lancaster, and New Hampton) and state fish hatcheries (for locations, call 271-3211).
Household Hazardous Waste Collections held throughout the state held from April through June. Call the Department of Environmental Services at (603) 271-3503, or visit: www.state.nh.us/des/hhw.
The Loon Preservation Committee's visitor center on Lee's Mills Road in Moultonborough.
For a free brochure ("Let's Get the Lead Out"), call Fish and Game's Aquatic Resources Education Program at (603) 271-3212.

[Grant]

A thought that came to mind while revisiting this thread:

Is there any enforcement of the lead sinker law within the numerous bass tournaments on the Lake? Lead has been a staple of the bass circuit for years. Is anyone checking these guys out before the zoom off at the crack of dawn? Or is the revenue represented too much to justify random checks and the hassle?

My family put the lead ban into effect a year or so before it became law. Shouldn't bass tournament participants be held to the same standard?

Anyone with insights? How is the use of lead policed within the bass tournaments?

[JohnNH]

Our organization North East Bass Association of NH has regulations in place that carry the penalty of Disqualification if you break the law. We do spot checks and always remind everyone in our events about the lead rules prior to the start of every event.

In addition to the NH lead laws, we also penalize anyone that leaves jigs, lures or plastic in the mouth of the fish they bring to the weigh in.

The bottom line is we enforce the rules set forth by the state as well as our own.

It's always a sad day when you have to DQ anyone, however, it does make everyone pay attention = they don't want to be next.

Thanks for asking,
John/NH
Tournament Director
NEBA of NH

[mcdude]

click here for website Here is a link to NHLA's legislative agenda and their website

[Jeff Furber]

I am all for banning lead sinkers, as a Winnie fisherman, when the "get the lead out" was passed for Winnie anything that will save the lives of loons, which do ingest lead sinkers, should be passed.
I believe the law apply's to sliding sinkers or pinch on lead sinker and not the larger lead bass jigs or lead headed spinnerbaits, which obviously loons could not ingest.
This is a good thing and once you have made the change to steel or other materials you just adapt to them.