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ABSTRACT
Lead exposure from hunting bullets used in regular hunting practices for cloven-hoofed game in Germany is a major
causeof death in raptors, especiallywhite-tailedseaeagles Haliaeetusalbicilla andattracts considerablepolitical attention
in Germany. We give an overview of related research projects since 2006. We focused on the use of hunting bullets of
both lead and non-lead construction in hunting for cloven-hoofed game from an animal welfare perspective, on the
rebound characteristics of lead and non-lead bullets and on bullet residues in marketable game meat from a consumer
protection point of view. A timeline of research and policy-related responses from the various relevant organisations and
agencies is presented. An overview of the current legislation in Germany for the use of lead and non-lead ammunition
for rifle and shotgun hunting is given with pending legislative changes. There is a definite trend within state and federal
governments to end the use of lead in hunting as a result of the scientific evidence on the risks to human and wildlife
health. We summarise an European Union process concerning “lead in consumer articles“, that excluded ammunition
specifically by declassifying it as a “consumer article” and thus omitted addressing the issue of ammunition also being
used in food production of game meat.
Key words:lead, hunting, rifle, bullets, animal welfare, consumer protection, legislation, game meat, Germany, research
initiatives
NARRATIVE
Lead exposure has been found to be a major cause of death for
raptors, especially white-tailed sea eagles Haliaeetus albicilla in
Germany (Kenntner et al. 2001, Krone et al. 2003). Rifle bullets
containing lead have been identified as a main source of lead
exposure (Krone and Hofer 2005). This evidence prompted
extensive political activity and research into the avoidance
of lead as a bullet material in hunting. In 2006 the German
Federal State of Brandenburg launched investigations into
the suitability of alternative materials for rifle bullets to be
used in hunting in state forests. In 2007, hunters from the
states of Schleswig-Holstein and Bavaria joined the project
(Gremse and Rieger 2007). In 2008, the State of Brandenburg
halted the field research involving the use of non-lead bullets
(State of Brandenburg 2008) due to safety concerns about the
rebound characteristics of lead-free bullets. In 2010, the Federal
German Government commissioned research into the rebound
characteristics of rifle bullets, shotgun slugs1 and shot of both
Lead from hunting ammunition in wild game meat:
research initiatives and current legislation in
Germany and the EU
Carl Gremse 1, 2†, Siegfried Rieger1
1 Faculty of Wildlife Biology, Management and Hunting Practice, University of Applied Sciences Eberswalde,
Alfred – Moeller – Str. 1, 16225 Eberswalde, Germany
2 Leibniz – Institute for Zoo andWildlife Research, P.O. Box 601103, D-10252 Berlin, Germany
† Corresponding author email address:
1 A single, heavy shotgun projectile as opposed to“shot”, where many individual, small spheres make up the charge of one cartridge.