April 1, 2002

Anglers Asked to Cast Not Their Lead Before Loons

By Shaila K. Dewan

About 20 years ago, New York State scientists were surprised to learn
that a leading cause of death among loons and other waterfowl was,
unlike many other environmental problems, easy and cheap to fix. The
problem was with the small lead sinkers commonly used to weight
fishing lines. Switching to sinkers made from nontoxic material like
steel, glass or tungsten could easily prevent many deaths.

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/01/nyregion/01FISH.html