LEAD IS DANGEROUS TO YOU AND THE VINEYARD …



LEAD IS DANGEROUS TO YOU AND THE VINEYARD ENVIRONMENT!

The Wampanoag Tribe Natural Resources Department is working to reduce the amount of lead in Vineyard waters, and asks that all Vineyard fishermen help us in our efforts. With grant funding from the U.S. EPA and other sources, the Tribe is working with local fishing groups, tackle shops, and charter captains to educate the public and reduce the use of lead in fishing. The Tribe also conducts a variety of other environmental programs ranging from air and water quality monitoring to wetland restoration and invasive species removal.

How Lead Affects You…

Exposure to lead can damage the kidneys, cause nervous system disorders, and result in high blood pressure. Children are particularly sensitive to lead exposure because their bodies are still developing, and lead exposure can lead to a range of health problems ranging from behavioral and speech/hearing problems to learning disabilities and even decreased intelligence.

How Lead Affects Wildlife…

Studies have shown that wildlife, particularly waterfowl, are being poisoned by lead left behind by anglers and hunters. Loons, a common visitor to the Vineyard, are particularly at risk. And the Striped Bass we so highly value have been seen to be affected by lead weights! Would you eat a fish that had a gut full of lead? Would you feed it to your children or donate it to a food bank?

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Over one pound of lead weights found in a disabled Striped Bass caught by Molly Fischer this summer in Menemsha Pond.

What You Can Do…

1. Replace lead tackle with lead-free alternatives. Be especially careful to stock children’s tackle boxes with lead-free weights ONLY.

2. Ask local tackle shops and charter captains to stock and use lead-free alternatives if they don’t already.

3. Dispose of lead sinkers properly, as household hazardous waste, or by bringing them to the Wampanoag Tribe for collection.

4. Wash your hands after handling lead weights, and make sure children do, too.

5. Spread the word about the hazards of lead weights and the available alternatives.

6. No-no to “yo-yo”. The practice of yo-yoing is hazardous to marine wildlife, and is prohibited during the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby.

DID YOU KNOW?

• On average, anglers lose one lead sinker for every six hours of fishing – that amounts to TONS of lead weights in Vineyard waters every years, and HUNDREDS OF TONS in U.S. waters.

• Massachusetts has banned lead weights in the Quabbin and Wachusett Reservoirs.

• Maine, Vermont, New York, New Hampshire, Minnesota, and Canada all have bans on lead weights under a half-ounce.

• The European Union will ban all lead in fishing by 2015.

What are the alternatives?

Alternatives are easy to use and easy to find:

The Stonze system, by the UK firm Pallatrax, makes weights out of natural stones, and are currently the only commercially available non-lead weights over one ounce. pallatrax.co.uk.

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– a large manufacturer of non-lead weights makes steel egg sinkers as a lead alternative.

– a leader in the non-lead tackle industry; makers of Ultra Steel, brass, and tin alternatives.

lunkah- – a Boston-area company that makes tin-bismuth sinkers with very similar performance to lead.

- makers of ceramic weights, and steel sinkers.

Most importantly: ASK YOUR LOCAL TACKLE SHOP to stock lead-free weights!

Sponsors of the Lead-Free Vineyard Fishing Project

The Wampanoag Tribe has been fishing Vineyard waters for 10,000 years, and secured funding and provided staff for this project. The Tribe reminds all anglers to respect the environment upon which we all depend. For more information on the Tribe’s environmental program contact the Natural Resources Department at 508-645-9265, ext. 134.

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provides grants funds to the Wampanoag Tribe for a wide variety of environmental projects, including lead safety, awareness, and education.

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Materials developed under a grant from The Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI), UMass Lowell. TURI provides research, training, technical support, laboratory services, and grant programs to reduce the use of toxic chemicals in the Commonwealth.

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The Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby, now in its 63rd year, is one of the pre-eminent fishing contests on the East Coast. The Derby supports the effort to remove lead from Vineyard fishing

GET THE LEAD OUT

OF VINEYARD FISHING!

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Children are particularly sensitive to the toxics effects of lead. Ashley caught this scup while fishing from the Skipper using a lead-free weight!

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Concerned about lead in your home?

The Wampanoag Environmental Laboratory offers nationally accredited testing of water, soil, dust, and painted items.

Call 508-645-2903 for details.

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