Vow in 2020 aimed to keep shot out of human food chain but study finds most game carcasses still contain lead

A voluntary promise to phase out toxic lead shot in the UK has failed, meaning wildlife and human health are being put at risk, a study has found.

The vow, made in February 2020 by the UK’s nine leading game shooting and rural organisations, aimed to benefit wildlife and the environment and keep toxic lead out of the human food chain. They aimed to phase lead shot out by 2025, and hoped to avoid a full government ban. It is recommended birds are shot with non-toxic cartridges made of metals such as steel instead.