Michigan anglers fighting push to ban lead lures

DETROIT (AP) § Michigan anglers and bait shop owners are resisting a push to ban lead in fishing tackle, arguing it would harm the state's $7 billion industry at a time it is already suffering because of the recession. The Environmental Protection Agency is considering banning the toxic metal's use in tackle because waterfowl can die if they eat lead sinkers and other fishing gear used by anglers. If the EPA implements the ban, tackle makers would have to switch to costly alternatives. "It'll cripple the industry," John Maniaci, a professional fisherman who has worked for fishing businesses in the Detroit area, told The Detroit News. A lead sinker Maniaci currently uses almost daily during fishing season costs just 5 cents. But alternatives can run about $4 a piece, including the tungsten sinkers used in Europe and Canada where lead laws are stricter than in the United States. Maniaci said the $4 cost may sound small to someone who doesn't fish, but he fishes in Lake St. Clair, where there is shallow water riddled with rocks and invasive zebra mussels. Every time his tackle gets caught he must cut his line, costing him an additional $3.95 each time under the proposed ban. The cost difference lies in the manufacturing chemistry. Lead has a relatively low melting point of 621 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing it to be easily heated and shaped with open molds. Less-lethal alternative metals need more heat to liquefy, requiring closed molds that use pressurized lines and other specialized equipment. For example, tungsten melts at 6,192 degrees § nearly 10 times that of lead. But environmental advocates say that shifting away from lead would save many waterfowl from death by lead poisoning. American Bird Conservancy president George Fenwick said in a statement that there was substantial evidence on the impact of lead on wildlife. The Michigan Environmental Council also supports the move. The EPA received a petition Aug. 3 from five environmental advocacy groups asking it to ban lead tackle and ammunition. The groups said millions of birds and animals die annually from lead poisoning attributable to bullets, sinkers and other lead tackle. But many Michigan residents who fish say the risk is overblown. Dan Chimelak, owner of Lakeside Fishing Shop in St. Clair Shores called the proposal "undeniably ignorant." "They're making this out like there's dead birds all over Michigan," he said. "I'm out there and I'm telling you, it's negligible." In an Aug. 27 announcement regarding the environmental groups' request, the EPA said it did not have the authority to ban lead hunting ammunition but did have jurisdiction to make a decision on fishing tackle. The EPA, which is expected to announce its decision on fishing tackle in early November, hasn't indicated how it will rule. Implementing a tackle ban would draw the ire of sport fishing enthusiasts and the businesses they patronize. While Michigan has no laws on lead tackle, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and New York don't permit sales of lightweight lead sinkers. New Hampshire and Vermont also ban their use, and Massachusetts has banned lead products in two reservoirs where the Common Loon nests. Published: Thu, Sep 23, 2010

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