[PAL]

The American Sportfishing Association has also come out in opposition to the proposed lead tackle ban. Here's how the ASA addresses the impacts to wildlife in California.

Impacts on Wildlife The United States model for managing fish and wildlife is respected worldwide. The magnitude of research and management on the widest variety of species is unrivaled. A fundamental principle of our highly successful user-pay model that benefits more than just hunted and fished species, is that fish and wildlife management in the U.S. is based on the dynamics of populations. The most common wildlife species cited for interactions with lead fishing tackle is the common loon, which may be found in California as a transient resident during the winter. However, loon populations are stable or increasing throughout their range. This is not to say that the death of any animal from unnatural causes is something celebrate. Far from it. However, it is just as inappropriate to claim that lead tackle is leading to population dynamic shifts that create vulnerabilities in sensitive species.

Furthermore, we believe California specific studies have failed to identify direct impacts of lead fishing tackle on bird species or any other wildlife species within the state of California. While other states have conducted studies on the impacts of lead tackle on marine and other wildlife, California has not. Studies from other states are not directly applicable to California. In some cases, the sample sizes of often quoted studies (N=1) do not equate to sound scientific investigation.

If it passes, I will definitely miss the leadhead jigs I use for fishing swimbaits in saltwater. Not counting the hooks, many of them are under 2 cm in length, including the jigs I use in San Diego Bay and for calicos.