Megan's Nature Nook
Nature Notes, Phenology, Photography, Fun Facts, Trips, Maybe Even a Bad Joke or Two... and More!
Minnesota Fishing Opener was this past weekend. After a long winter, people are excited to get out on the water fishing and enjoy the warm weather. They’ve been dreaming of getting out fishing, but one thing they don’t think about when planning their fishing trip is how their fishing tackle can affect the wildlife around them. In 2020 the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) launched a program called “Get the Lead Out” to promote the use of lead-free fishing tackle. The program is funded from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. During the oil spill many loons were negatively affected, causing concern for their population. Minnesota is a hotspot for nesting loons, so their efforts were focused on helping their populations in breeding areas. With the program, the MPCA has been getting the word out and educating people about why lead tackle is dangerous to wildlife and what you can do to help. Lead poisoning from tackle is common in loons, waterbirds like ducks and swans, raptors, and occasionally small mammals like racoons that eat fish. Loons swallow pea-sized pebbles on the bottom of lakes to aid in digestion, like grit for chickens. Ducks and other waterbirds may ingest lead jigs or sinkers while foraging for invertebrates. Jigs are meant to entice fish and may look like a minnow to waterfowl and be ingested because of that. Another way loons or raptors, like eagles or osprey, may ingest fishing tackle is by eating a fish that has swallowed a jig or sinker. Once the lead is ingested, it is exposed to acid and rocks in the stomach which break it down. The lead is then released and enters bird’s blood stream, slowly poisoning the bird. It takes only ONE lead sinker to poison a loon and can take 2-3 weeks after ingesting for the loon to die -which can be a long and painful death. Once the lead has entered the blood stream, it affects the brain and nervous system, digestive organs, kidneys, heart, and reproductive system of the animal. Basically, if a loon or other animals ingests lead tack, they’re going to die. It is just a matter of time. Some signs of lead poisoning can be flying poorly, crash landings, head tilt, gasping, trembling, droopy wings, and emaciation from not eating. Lead tackle is an obvious problem, as loons, waterbirds, and raptors can easily ingest it while foraging or eating fish that have swallowed lead tackle. They get very sick and succumb to death. This can be worrisome as it may threaten bird populations. Not only is lead poisoning bad news for the birds, but it can also get into the environment from being in a water system. Sand or rocks rub on the lead, releasing it into the water. It can then be in the water or soil, be taken up by plants growing and animals can ingest lead by eating the plants. It could also potentially be a health hazard to humans who recreate in the water and possibly contaminate drinking water over time. I’ve been reading Silent Spring by Rachel Carson which has me really thinking about contamination in the environment and how things can compound overtime becoming detrimental, and hard to reverse – if even possible. There are many negative effects of using lead fishing tackle, but luckily there are things we can do to help “Get the Lead Out” and keep our wildlife and environment healthy. Over there years many non-lead alternatives have become available. Stainless steel, bismuth, tin, tungsten, ceramic, recycled glass, and natural granite are just some of the alternatives. Besides being non-toxic, some of these alternatives are harder than lead, making them less likely to get stuck on rocks. Some are denser which gives a smaller profile, and some have lower melting points which can allow for finer detail. Ask your local bait and tackle store to stock non-lead sinkers and tackle. The MPCA has a list of lead-free fishing tackle on their website. Once you purchase your new non-lead tackle, be sure to dispose of your old lead sinkers and jigs properly. Bring them to household hazardous waste collection sites. Never throw old tack into the water or on shore!
If you don’t fish yourself, you can gift non-lead fishing tackle to the favorite fishermen and fisherwomen in your lives. And the easiest thing to do: share this information with friends and family to “Get the Lead Out!” Making one small change can help to better the lives of wildlife around you and keep our environment healthy. A small step of changing to non-lead fishing tackle can make a big impact! Now is a great time to sort through your fishing tackle, properly dispose of your lead tackle, and get some new non-lead tackle to start off the fishing season! And this winter don’t forget to check your ice fishing gear to see what you can switch over to non-lead. Happy fishing! You can tune a guitar, but you can't tuna fish, unless of course you play bass!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Blog Updates:
If you would like to receive a notification when there is a new post, please fill out the contact form under the "Get in Touch" page. About MeHi, my name is Megan. I love spending time out in nature and learning everything I can about it! Enjoy my blog and want to support my writing? Buy me a tea! Click the button below - Thank you!
Categories
All
Archives
June 2023
|