Ventura County Star Opinion

Committee opposes lead bullets

By Cynthia Stringfield

Friday, September 28, 2007

Re: the Sept. 16 letter by Lawrence G. Keane, senior vice president and chief counsel of the National Shooting Sports Federation in Newtown, Conn., "Ban on lead bullets unnecessary":

Keane stated that a ban on lead ammunition in the range of the California condor "is not supported by the Condor Recovery Team" and that condors have been known to ingest lead-containing batteries and wrappers.

The California Condor Recovery Team functions in an advisory role to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and in that capacity does not take political positions. Its Scientific Advisory Committee, however, has recently presented a statement to the California Fish and Game Commission that summarizes the scientific evidence and concludes that ammunition is the principal source of the lead poisoning California condors.

Furthermore, the California Condor Recovery Team has concluded that without a change to nonlead, nontoxic ammunition, whether voluntarily or otherwise, this species will be unable to recover in the wild. It is important to note, that after nearly five years of attempts to encourage voluntary actions to reduce the exposure of condors to lead from spent ammunition, there is no evidence, scientific or otherwise, that there have been measurable reductions of exposure.

Finally, we are unaware of any condor that has ever ingested batteries or wrappers, and there are no cases of lead poisoning known due to such ingestions, in stark contrast to the many cases where condors have died or returned to captivity for treatment from ingesting lead from ammunition.

— Cynthia Stringfield, doctor of veterinary medicine and professor at Moorpark College, wrote this on behalf of the members of the California Condor Recovery Team's Scientific Advisory Committee. Other members are Tom Cade, Don Smith, Susan Friedman, Pat Redig, Mike Wallace, Kathy Ralls, Kelly Sorenson and Robert Riseborough.

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