Farmers, gamekeepers and landowners are being urged to respond to a call for evidence looking at the impact of lead ammunition on the environment and wildlife.
In March, Defra announced that it had tasked the Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to start a two-year review of lead ammunition.
The review is to take place under the UK’s new post-Brexit chemical regulations referred to as ‘UK REACH’ and will result in proposals to restrict lead ammunition for England, Wales and Scotland.
It was explained that Northern Ireland would be exempt from the review and any resulting proposals under the Northern Ireland Protocol.
The government's call for evidence is the first stage in a series of reviews and consultations over the next 18 months.
Questions seek information pertaining to shooting ranges, hunting, game meat, and manufacture and supply.
It also includes home-loading, lead ammunition alternatives, the impact of the voluntary transition, the impact of lead ammunition on wildlife; and the effect of restrictions on businesses and shooters.
The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) said it will be closely involved with the HSE’s review to ensure it 'objectively evaluates the evidence'.
The body said it was 'imperative' that restriction proposals considered the 'complex mix of socio-economics, technical factors and attitudes'.
BASC’s director of England Dan Reynolds said: “A key principle we must not lose sight of is that further legal restrictions must not be imposed until effective and affordable types of sustainable ammunition are available in sufficient volumes to meet demand."
The eight-week call for evidence covers England, Wales and Scotland. Farmers, landowners and gamekeepers can respond until 22 October.
