Suit: Lead Ammo in Carrion Kills Condors - AP

[Eugene]

Suit: Lead Ammo in Carrion Kills Condors

By TERENCE CHEA
The Associated Press
Friday, December 1, 2006; 10:27 AM

SAN FRANCISCO -- Advocates for the California condor sued state wildlife regulators
for allowing lead hunting ammunition despite concerns that the rare birds can die
after eating carcasses contaminated with the pellets.

The environmentalists, who filed the federal suit Thursday in Los Angeles, claim the
state is violating the Endangered Species Act. They want the state to require hunters
to use ammunition made of copper or other materials.

One plaintiff, the San Francisco-based Center for Biological Diversity, said 46 of the
giant vultures have died or disappeared after being released in California from 1992
through July 2006, and that lead poisoning may have factored into many of those
deaths.

Steve Martarano, a spokesman for the Department of Fish and Game, said the timing
of the suit was disappointing because the commission has been encouraging the use
of nonlead ammunition and is considering changing hunting regulations by next spring.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/01/AR2006120100474.html

[NickB79]

1. Shouldn't be a problem to require non-lead bullets

Barnes X-bullets are made of pure copper and expand quite well in big game, while suitable replacements for lead shotgun shells have been available for decades now.