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The transition to non-lead rifle ammunition in Denmark: National obligations and policy considerations

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Abstract

The issue of Denmark regulating use of lead-free rifle ammunition because of potential risks of lead exposure in wildlife and humans was examined from a scientific and objective policy perspective. The consequences of adopting or rejecting such regulation were identified. Denmark is obliged to examine this topic because of its national policy on lead reduction, its being a Party to the UN Bonn Convention on Migratory Species, and its role in protecting White-tailed Sea Eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla), a species prone to lead poisoning from lead ingestion. Lead-free bullets suited for deer hunting are available at comparable cost to lead bullets, and have been demonstrated to be as effective. National adoption of lead-free bullets would complete the Danish transition to lead-free ammunition use. It would reduce the risk of lead exposure to scavenging wildlife, and humans who might eat lead-contaminated wild game meat. Opposition from hunting organizations would be expected.

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Notes

  1. Bullets that contain <1 % lead by mass.

  2. Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October, 2009.

  3. Flinterup, M. Consultant in the Danish Hunters’ Association, Molsvej 34, DK.8410 Rønde. October, 2015.

  4. Demand nr. 444 of 07/052014 on arms and ammunition allowed for hunting.

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Acknowledgments

We thank 15 Juni Fonden (Denmark) for funding aspects of the research on the transitioning to lead-free ammunition, and Susanne Auls (IZW) for her excellent and continuous help during analyses of lead-intoxicated White-tailed Sea Eagles.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Danish Academy of Hunting, Skrejrupvej 31, 8410, Rønde, Denmark

    Niels Kanstrup

  2. Department of Integrative Biology, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada

    Vernon G. Thomas

  3. Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Strasse 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany

    Oliver Krone

  4. Wildlife Department, Eberswalde-University, Schicklerstrasse 5, 16225, Eberswalde, Germany

    Carl Gremse

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  1. Niels Kanstrup
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  2. Vernon G. Thomas
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  4. Carl Gremse
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Correspondence to Vernon G. Thomas.

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Kanstrup, N., Thomas, V.G., Krone, O. et al. The transition to non-lead rifle ammunition in Denmark: National obligations and policy considerations. Ambio 45, 621–628 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-016-0780-y

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