In a three-part notice published in the June 30, 1993, Federal Register, the Service announced its intent to limit the length of shotgun shells to 3.5 inches, the largest currently available on the market. By limiting the length of shells, the Service expects to discourage long-range shooting that can lead to crippling and, in effect, over harvest of birds.
In addition, the Service proposes to limit the diameter of shot size to no larger than a No. T (0.20 inch). The proposed regulation is intended to reduce crippling losses by limiting shot sizes to those that have been demonstrated to be the most efficient for harvesting large waterfowl.
Under the notice, the hunting community and others would be given time to deplete their supplies of size No. F shot (0.22 inch), which is larger than T shot.
The Service also proposes to require shotgun shell manufacturers to obtain the Services approval for anti-corrosive coatings on nontoxic shot pellets. Although nontoxic shot is currently required to hunt waterfowl and coots in the United States, there are currently no standards that control the coating applied to the shot pellets, which could be toxic. Waterfowl often swallow spent shot as grit, and this regulation would attempt to ensure that shot coatings would be nontoxic when ingested.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 530 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies. For further information about the programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, please visit our home page at: http://midwest.fws.gov
