§ Mr. Hanleyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has yet received a report by the Nature Conservancy Council on lead poisoning of swans; and what action he proposes to take on it.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinYes. The Nature Conservancy Council has reported to me on the problem of lead poisoning of swans. Its recent review concluded that, whilst there has been a small increase in total swan numbers since 1978, more than 3,000 swans continue to die each year by ingesting anglers' lead weights. Evidence suggests that it is recently discarded weights, not yet sunk into the mud, which do the most damage. This is despite the co-operation of anglers' associations in encouraging the use of non-toxic alternatives to lead.
The NCC therefore confirms its recommendations to phase out the use of lead shot by anglers by December 1986. If the voluntary phasing out which it supports proves to be ineffective, it recommends that the sale and use of split lead weights (except the smallest weights) and ledger weights (up to 2oz) should be prohibited.
The Government accept these recommendations and the timetable for action set out in them. We propose to take action in two stages aimed at securing the total withdrawal of the relevent split lead weights for angling purposes by the end of 1986. First, we have asked the NCC and the Sports Council actively to campaign to persuade anglers not to use lead weights during the coarse fishing season that has just opened. Meanwhile, a technical group, including representatives of the National Angling Organisations and of manufacturers, is considering ways to speed the further refinement and encourage wider use of the alternatives to lead weights which are now available. I welcome the group's recent announcement that one range of products provides satisfactory alternatives to lead shot and that development of other products is also encouraging.
167WI welcome the support for the ending of the use of lead weights given by sections of the press including the Daily Mirror.
I am also pleased to learn that a meeting of representatives of national angling organisations has subsequently agreed that the supply of angler's lead shot ought to end within two years.
For their part, the Government propose immediately to ban the use of lead weights by those applying for new licences to fish in the royal parks. Existing licences will not be affected, but steps will be taken to encourage all anglers in the royal parks to use alternative weights.
Water authorities in England and Wales have powers to make byelaws to ban the use of lead weights for fishing. My right hon. Friends the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretary of State for Wales will shortly be issuing draft model byelaws, to aid the water authorities in considering whether they wish to propose such a ban in their areas. We hope that the voluntary approach, supported as it is by the responsible angling organisations, may achieve success during the present angling season of 1985–86. However, if the voluntary approach has had insufficient effect by the end of the season the Government will be prepared to introduce regulations to control the sale and import of lead shot for fishing in the United Kingdom. Consultations on regulations, under section 100 of the Control of Pollution Act 1974, will begin as soon as possible, so that if necessary they may be brought into effect on 1 January 1987.