"Despite their name, common loons are not that common," said Service Director Jamie Rappaport Clark, "and we know that in some areas, common loons are dying of lead poisoning after swallowing lost fishing sinkers and jigs."
Common loon populations, found mostly in New England and around the Great Lakes, are not robust. The species is listed as threatened or endangered by several states and, in some localized areas, lead poisoning from fishing sinkers and jigs is documented to be the cause of death for more than half of all recovered loons. Common loons pick up lost sinkers and jigs along with the small stones and grit they swallow to aid with digestion. Even a single sinker may be enough to cause death by lead poisoning and birds that survive the initial dose have difficulty flying, feeding, and mating.
"We expect the number of anglers fishing on refuges to grow, so this step is necessary to continue to provide both opportunities to fish and secure habitat for the loons," Clark said. "Anglers will have plenty of notice and switching to non-toxic sinkers and jigs should not place a large burden on those who want to fish in lead-free fishing areas."
More than half of the Nations 500+ refuges are open to anglers and the Service estimates that there were more than 5
