Europe just voted to take the lead out of hunting — and spare millions of waterbirds

The European Parliament voted on October 8 to reject objections to an EU-wide restriction on lead gunshot in hunting and sport shooting, clearing the measure’s parliamentary hurdle. With a seven-year transition, the rule is estimated to spare millions of waterbirds from lead poisoning and keep tens of thousands of tonnes of lead out of soils and waterways each year. Even the continent’s hunting federation, FACE, reported the move toward adoption — a rare moment where conservationists and hunters read the same page.