Mute swans and other waterfowl continue to suffer from lead poisoning through the ingestion of fishing weights and ammunition, despite decades of campaigning and partial regulatory action.
Lead poisoning causes a prolonged, painful death in affected swans. The bird progressively loses muscle control, becomes unable to hold its neck upright or swallow, and finally dies from starvation and internal haemorrhage. Treatment with chelation therapy can save birds if caught early, but the typical time between ingestion and detection of clinical signs means many birds are found too late. The ongoing use of lead fishing weights represents a preventable cause of waterfowl suffering that could be eliminated by simple substitution of non-toxic alternatives already widely available.