The state’s Fish and Game Commission is scheduled to hear
evidence at a special meeting in Sacramento on Monday and Tuesday
in support of a ban on lead bullets in the endangered California
condor range
– which includes San Benito and other counties.
Lead ammunition may be nearing its demise in San Benito County.
The state’s Fish and Game Commission is scheduled to hear evidence at a special meeting in Sacramento on Monday and Tuesday in support of a ban on lead bullets in the endangered California condor range – which includes San Benito and other counties.
Proponents of such a ban – including a consortium of scientists, wldlife conservationists, state and federal park biologists and a hunting ranch operation in southern California – argue that such a ban is vital to protecting the endangered species.
Biologists argue that the scavenging birds ingest the lead by consuming gut piles left containing the lead bullets of hunters. Scientists believe they have shown that the isotopes found in condors with high blood-lead levels are nearly identical to those found in lead ammunition.
Opponents of the ban – including hunter organizations and gun rights advocates – question the science behind the theory that lead bullets cause poisoning in the birds. Gun rights advocates argue that banning lead bullets is about limiting gun rights.
The Fish and Game Commission is not the only entity considering a ban on lead bullets.
A bill to ban the ammunition is making its way through the State Legislature. The Ridley-Tree Condor Preservation Act, AB 821, calls for banning lead bullets in the condor range. The bill passed the Assembly in May and is awaiting a vote on the Senate floor.
