SEO/BirdLife calls for an end to the use of lead in the countryside

Madrid, June 3 (EFEverde).- SEO/BirdLife has urged the Spanish government to take a firm stance on eliminating the use of lead in hunting, following statements by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, at the European Union's Agriculture Council on May 26, where he defended the continued use of lead ammunition and its total exemption in wild boar hunting.

The NGO warns that the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) warned in 2022 that more than one million birds die each year in Europe from lead poisoning, while in Spain the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) has issued recommendations to reduce population exposure to this metal, especially the most vulnerable, due to its neurological, cardiovascular and child development effects.

"We know that lead kills and pollutes, and that there are alternatives. Acting boldly means eliminating it completely," said Juan Carlos Atienza, Head of Advocacy for a Green Transition at SEO/BirdLife.

Toxic incompatible with biodiversity and health

Lead is a heavy metal that has serious impacts on human health and species living in the wild, as lead and its compounds have been on the list of Priority Hazardous Substances identified by the Water Framework Directive (D 2000/60/EC) for 25 years. Furthermore, lead ammunition has been banned in all wetlands since 2023.

“We're not just talking about birds: we're talking about public health and fundamental rights,” warned Atienza, who called for a coherent government position that integrates the approaches of the Ministries of Ecological Transition, Health, and Social Rights. “It's time to show leadership and consistency: you can't defend human rights and accept an avoidable toxicant in nature.”

Citizen campaign against lead

SEO/BirdLife has launched a petition to demand that the Executive branch adopt a clear and unequivocal stance toward the European institutions, with the goal of completely eliminating lead from all ecosystems. The organization argues that any environmental strategy must put the health of citizens and biodiversity before short-term interests. EFEverde.

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