Managing macropods without poisoning ecosystems

Abstract

A recent review of the management of hyperabundant macropods in Australia proposed that expanded professional shooting is likely to lead to better biodiversity and animal welfare outcomes. While the tenets of this general argument are sound, it overlooks one important issue for biodiversity and animal health and welfare: reliance on toxic lead-based ammunition. Lead poisoning poses a major threat to Australia's wildlife scavengers. Current proposals to expand professional macropod shooting would see tonnes of an extremely toxic and persistent heavy metal continue to be introduced into Australian environments. This contrasts with trends in many other countries, where lead ammunition is, through legislation or voluntary programs, being phased out. Fortunately, there are alternatives to lead ammunition that could be investigated and adopted for improved macropod management. A transition to lead-free ammunition would allow the broad environmental and animal welfare goals desired from macropod management to be pursued without secondarily and unintentionally poisoning scavengers. Through this article, we hope to increase awareness of this issue and encourage discussion of this potential change.

Lead contamination in Australian game meat

“…hunters, their families and associates, and children. From a One Health perspective (Arnemo et al, 2022 ), these health impacts should be considered in addition to those imposed on wildlife scavengers that ingest lead from the discarded carcasses of the animals harvested for human consumption (Hampton et al, 2022d ). The issue of harmful lead exposure in Australian consumers of wildlife meat deserves further scientific scrutiny.…”

“…To our knowledge, lead-based bullets are currently used for all macropod shooting (Hampton and Forsyth, 2016 ; Hampton et al, 2022d ; Woodford et al, 2020 ). Typically, .223 calibre centrefire rifles are used to fire 55 grain ‘varmint’ style frangible bullets (Hampton and Forsyth, 2016 ).…”

Further investigation of lead exposure as a potential threatening process for a scavenging marsupial species

“…50 Lead-based ammunition continues to be used for all such culling. 51 Devil populations in such sites are likely to be at higher risk of elevated lead exposure, even though this assessment has shown overall low exposure. Further investigation of the lead exposure status of devil populations living on or close to these land use types is warranted, as is analysis of tissue types were representative of long-term exposure, such as bone or tooth.…”

“…red‐necked / Bennett's wallaby [ Notamacropus rufogriseus ]) shot during forestry or agricultural culls, 49 with one study showing that a quarter of marsupial browsers killed by a cull were scavenged 50 . Lead‐based ammunition continues to be used for all such culling 51 . Devil populations in such sites are likely to be at higher risk of elevated lead exposure, even though this assessment has shown overall low exposure.…”

Portable X-ray Fluorescence for Measuring Lead in the Hair of Wild Mammals

“…Lead exposure in wildlife scavengers is a global issue, but relatively little research has been conducted in Australia, beyond studies of lead exposure in one avian species, the wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax) (Hampton et al, 2021;Lohr et al, 2020;Pay et al, 2021). This is concerning, given that culling, hunting and commercial harvesting of fauna is ubiquitous in Australia, and relies almost exclusively on lead-based ammunition (Hampton et al, 2022(Hampton et al, , 2018.…”