The World Health Organisation states there are no known safe levels of exposure to lead. They are particularly concerned that lead causes health issues with young children.

In the main the unregulated sports fishing industry makes and promotes the use of fishing weights made from this known toxin - not because there are no alternatives but due to the cheapness of lead and its ease to manufacturer i.e. profit regardless of all the facts that lead is harmful to both humans and the environment.

The angling industry, supported by the angling media, have promoted a tactic where the angler is advised to drop their lead when playing a fish. This reckless act now means that thousands of tons of this toxic metal now lies within the substrate of our waters - which also includes our drinking water. The damage to the environment from this willful practice has been described by one scientist as an environmental time bomb waiting to explode.

The fishing industry is now coating leads in plastic so on their loss we are not just seeing this toxic metal introduced into the environment but also more plastic.

We have a duty of care to protect our children and the environment from the use of lead weights as it is a poison, and fight for the fishing industry to change this outdated and unregulated practice that is so harmful to humans and wildlife.

Factual evidence and common sense dictates that lead angling weights should be banned but with an industry fixated on profit above the environment it is down to the public to force this change.