A SHOOTING group has pledged to fight against European Union (EU) plans to retrict the use of lead shot over wetlands and peatlands.
The British Association for Shooting & Conservation (BASC) warned that the EU proposals could get in the way of the UK’s existing five-year voluntary transition to sustainable ammunition if the UK Government chooses to implement the European directive in 2023.
The EU’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation & Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Committee voted to introduce a 100-metre buffer zone around any body of water, no matter its size, and on all peatlands.
Matt Ellis, BASC’s head of science and chair of the European Federation of Associations for Hunting & Conservation (FACE) ammunition working group, said: “We are supportive of the current legislation in the UK regarding the use of lead shot over wetlands.
“The new EU restrictions are utterly unenforceable and places shooters at risk of criminality if they fail to spot a puddle in the field.
“BASC will be lobbying the UK government not to adopt this regulation.”
He added: “This is a clear sign of the EU’s intent with regards to restricting the use of lead, and with a full lead shot restriction next on the agenda, the pressure has never been higher.
“All our actions are focused on ensuring that moves in Europe do not compromise the UK shooting community’s plans for a five-year transition to sustainable ammunition and future.”
Read more shooting stories on Scottish Field’s field sports pages.
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