‘It is hard to argue against the need for the restriction, as lead is toxic to birds, animals and also humans,’ said Olav Avarsalu, the Deputy General Director in the field of supervision at the Estonian Environmental Board. ‘In the longer term, the aim is to completely end the use of toxic ammunition, but this cannot be done overnight. Hunters will need a smooth transition period to adapt to the change and gradually replace their ammunition and, if necessary, guns,’ Avarsalu explained.
The use of lead shot when hunting waterfowl has been banned for 10 years. The restriction, which will come into force in mid-February, will ban the use and carrying of lead shot in wetlands and near water bodies, including when hunting wild birds or small game.
‘Estonia is a country exceptionally rich in wetlands and water bodies, so users of lead shot must be very careful in the future. When hunting in wetlands or near water bodies, be aware that environmental inspectors may want to check a hunter's gunshot to make sure that they are not carrying prohibited lead ammunition. During the first 6 months we will devote more attention to making sure that all hunters notice the change, and we will not be aiming to punish anybody,’ said Olav Avarsalu.
Tõnis Korts, the Head of the Estonian Hunters' Society, recalled that hunters started switching to lead-free ammunition 10 years ago, when the Hunting Act banned the use of lead pellets when hunting waterfowl. ‘We are now entering the next phase, which will end the use of lead shot in wetlands. It is certainly a big change for hunters, and one that will take some getting used to and time to implement. The wider use of alternative ammunition requires both retraining and, if necessary, adaptation or replacement of guns,’ Korts explained.
To make it easier to comply with the restrictions, the Environmental Board and the Land Board have worked together to create a special map layer showing both wetlands and buffer zones of bodies of water.
In addition to the areas where lead shot is prohibited, the map application for hunting, developed in cooperation between the Environmental Board and the Land Board, displays other map layers necessary for complying with hunting restrictions. The map application shows the boundaries of hunting areas, wolf management areas, areas where lead shot is prohibited, and movement restrictions and movement bans in nature conservation areas.
