CANADA House of Commons Debates VOLUME 137 Ï NUMBER 178 Ï 1st SESSION Ï 37th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Monday, April 29, 2002 Speaker: The Honourable Peter Milliken CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) All parliamentary publications are available on the ``Parliamentary Internet Parlementaire´´ at the following address: http://www.parl.gc.ca 10905 HOUSE OF COMMONS Monday, April 29, 2002 The House met at 11 a.m. arenevertheless in danger of extermination throughlack of adequate protection during the nesting His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom ofGreat Britain and Ireland and of the Britishdominions beyond the seas, Emperor of India, andthe United States Prayers of America, being desirous ofsaving from indiscriminate slaughter and ofinsuring the preservation of such migratory birdsas are either useful to man or are harmless, haveresolved to adopt some uniform system ofprotection which shall effectively accomplish suchobjects— PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS Then there was the Migratory Birds Act, 1994, assented to on Ï (1105) June 23, 1994, which reads as follows at section 4: [Translation] The purpose of this Act is to implement theConvention by protecting migratory INTOXICATION OF MIGRATORY BIRDS birds andnests. Ms. Pierrette Venne (Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, BQ) moved: Specifically, subsection 12(1) of the 1994 legislation sets out that: That, in the opinion of this House, the government should, in compliance with the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994, amend its regulations to replace the use of The Governor in Council may make anyregulations that the Governor in Council lead fishing weights and baits by any other non toxic matter that would end the considersnecessary to carry out the purposes and provisionsof this Act and the intoxication of migratory birds, including the loon, caused by the swallowing of lead. Convention, includingregulations She said: Mr. Speaker, I wish to begin by recalling the essential established object of Motion No. 414, which I am introducing today. (h) for prohibiting the killing, capturing,injuring, taking or disturbing of migratory As you can see, it is a matter of protecting migratory birds from a birdsor the damaging, destroying, removing ordisturbing of nests; highly toxic substance, namely lead, which is found in sinkers and lures used in sport fishing. If any other non-toxic substance is used, it Therefore, the government implemented the Migratory Birds will be possible to contemplate the eradication of this phenomenon Regulations. These are the regulations that have been used to fight of migratory birds being poisoned by these sinkers and lures, and in the use of lead shot in the hunting of migratory birds. particular to save from certain death thousands of loons. These are not only a source of pride, but also of great value to nature and to our In fact, the government banned the use of cartridges with lead economy. shot, or pellets that are poisonous, for bird hunting, by defining which type of non-poisonous pellets could be used in sections 2 and There is nothing new about this concern to protect our migratory 15(1) of the Migratory Birds Regulations. The government birds from lead. According to the January 2002 issue of Bulletin prohibited hunting migratory birds, in particular, with pellets that Science et Environnement: are poisonous—lead being poisonous—and permitted hunting with Mercury and lead are two metals of particular concern as far as wildlife are concerned. They are both on the list of toxic substances because of their potentially materials that are not poisonous. toxic effects, particularly because lead causes organ damage and leads to death. Although lead and mercury are present in both land and water habitat, the way they Ï (1110) are ingested puts water fowl, and piscivorous, that is fish-eating, birds and mammals, as well as their predators, at considerable risk of poisoning. This first ban on lead when hunting migratory birds had a very positive effect, as pointed out in the article published in the Bulletin The legislation and regulations concerning migratory birds were Science et Environnement, to which I referred earlier: drafted as a result of the signature of international conventions. This is how the August 16, 1916 Migratory Bird Convention came into While levels of mercury in the environment are increasing, the level of lead is being between the United Kingdom and United States in order to decreasing, thanks to the gradual elimination of lead in many countries and to a national ban on lead shot used to hunt most migratory birds considered to be game protect the migratory birds of Canada and the U.S. It must be kept in fowl. The ban on lead shot, which came into effect in 1999, resulted in a reduction of mind that Canada, being a British colony at the time, was therefore about 40% of the lead spread annually in the Canadian environment by hunters. bound by this convention. I would like to read the beginning of this convention. However, a very important and serious problem remains concerning lead and migratory birds, in that lead used for fishing Whereas many of these species are of greatvalue as a source of food or in destroying insectswhich are injurious to forests and forage plants onthe public is the main cause of death among migratory birds, particularly the domain, as well as to agricultural crops,in both Canada and the United States, but loon during nesting season. 10906 COMMONS DEBATES April 29, 2002 Private Members' Business Let us now take a look at what environmental experts are saying any other non toxic matter that would end the intoxication of migratory birds, about lead and migratory birds swallowing the small lead weights including the loon, caused by the swallowing of lead. and baits used for sport fishing. One of the most serious problem relating to lead remains the swallowing of small lead sinkers and lures by divers— Divers include loons and similar types of birds. Let me state at the outset that I support the intent of this initiative —in lakes where sport fishing is a major activity. Each year, anglers lose about and I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak about the issue of 500 tons of lead sinkers and lures in Canadian waters. Even the smallest of these lead sinkers and jigs. It is one that warrants the attention of devices is big enough to kill any diver that swallows it. Lead poisoning accounts parliament and the Canadian public and it is one that reminds us all for 5% to 50% of registered deaths among adult divers in Canada, and it is the main cause of the deaths registered among adult loons in North America, during to pay attention to the effect of our activities as anglers on our nesting season. cherished wildlife. Migratory birds are a great source of wealth, as shown by the following excerpt of the summary of the May 17, 2000 regulatory impact study under the Migratory Birds Convention Act,1994: The sustainability of migratory bird resources is critical to the cultural and Lead has long been acknowledged as an environmental and health economic well-being of Canadians. There is a major economic benefit for Canadians problem for humans and wildlife. Lead is listed as a toxic substance and for the government in protecting and managing migratory birds and in preserving large conservation areas to ensure their reproduction and survival. Data collected by under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. The federal Statistics Canada in a 1991 survey shows that Canadians spent $1.2 billion to hunt government, along with other levels of government, has been and to watch migratory waterfowl. successful in reducing the hazard of lead in our environment by getting the lead out of gasoline, household products like paint and In conclusion, I seek the House's support for my Motion M-414 shot used in hunting waterfowl. concerning the protection of migratory birds, which would amend the regulations to the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994, to replace the use of lead sinkers and lures by any other non toxic matter that would end the poisoning of migratory birds, including the loon, caused by the swallowing of lead. Motion No. 414 highlights the fact that the recreational use of lead continues to be a source of lead in the environment. The motion has I remind the House that, on March 25, the well known Ducks raised the profile of the problem of lead fishing sinkers and jigs and Unlimited informed me of their full support for Motion M-414 in the their impact on wildlife, in particular on water birds such as the loon. following terms: Basically the problem is that water birds ingest fishing sinkers and Ducks Unlimited hereby supports the motion you put forward in the House of Commons to have the government amend its regulation to replace the use of lead jigs during feeding, either when they mistake them for food or grit or sinkers and lures by any other non toxic matter that would end the poisoning of when they consume lost bait fish when the line is still attached. The migratory birds, including the loon. ingestion of a single lead sinker or a lead-headed jig is sufficient to expose a loon or other bird to a lethal dose of lead. Ingestion of lead I have always been interested in hunting and fishing. Having sinkers and jigs has been found to cause mortality in common loons, become aware of the considerable harm caused migratory birds, swans and various other water birds. particularly the loon, by the use of lead sinkers and lures, I think it highly desirable that we move as quickly as possible and without further delay to protect migratory birds by the use of non toxic matter for fishing.