Hunting with Lead Ammunition: A One Health Perspective

No table of content available

• Hunting with lead-based ammunition poses a significant health risk to humans, wildlife and ecosystems and is a One Health issue in the Arctic. Lead is highly toxic, and there is no safe level of exposure. In humans, even a moderate intake of meat from game harvested with lead-based ammunition may bring the blood lead level above thresholds for documented toxic effects on several physiological systems. Improved dressing practices reduce the amount of lead in edible parts, but all lead residues can never be removed. The use of lead-based ammunition for hunting also poisons wildlife and contaminates ecosystems and needs to be replaced by non-lead alternatives, which are equally effective and easily available at comparable prices. A sustainable solution to this One Health lead problem should be based on a multidisciplinary approach that requires science-based legislative actions on national and international levels. In essence, however, this is an ethical issue that can easily be solved at an individual level. The concept of One Health urges people to think globally and act locally. Thus, each hunter’s personal choice of ammunition is a key factor.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Miljövetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Environmental Sciences (hsv//eng)

LANTBRUKSVETENSKAPER  -- Annan lantbruksvetenskap -- Vilt- och fiskeförvaltning (hsv//swe)

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES  -- Other Agricultural Sciences -- Fish and Wildlife Management (hsv//eng)

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

kap (ämneskategori)