Submitted by Carson Trout Lepine and Greenan Lakes Association
Last May, Carson Trout Lepine and Greenan Lakes Association (CTLG Lakes) began its own campaign to create awareness about the harmful effects of lead used in fishing tackle. If lead sinkers and jigs are used for fishing, they can be inadvertently swallowed by loons or other aquatic wildlife, resulting in a fatal outcome. So our goal was to encourage anglers to donate their lead sinkers and jigs for a chance to win two prizes.
The draw took place last Sunday. We are excited to announce that the second prize winner was Angelo Mosca Jr. The first prize went to Doug Beingessner. Both winners are residents from Trout Lake. Above: Angelo Mosca Jr.(left) and Doug Beingessner. Photo CTLG Lakes.
Second prize was an inflatable loon, and first prize was fishing gear including a rod and tackle box filled with a variety of lures and unleaded sinkers and jigs. CTLG Lakes is very grateful for the generous prize donations from Christopher Eldred of TD Wealth Management, The Great Canadian Fishing Company, Recast Fishing (recycled ocean plastic made into lures), Mad Outdoors and Float-eh!
Creating demand for lead-free gear
Throughout this process, we were pleased to learn that many anglers were already using unleaded sinkers and jigs!
But moving forward there is more to be done to create awareness as we also discovered that some cottage country retailers were not aware of unleaded alternatives. The power of change comes with the consumer. As anglers, please don’t hesitate to ask your favorite tackle shop to stock unleaded fishing tackle made from alternatives such as tungsten, tin, ceramic or glass to name a few.
Where does the lead go?
The lead that was collected by CTLG Lakes this summer will be forwarded to the original organizers of the Get the Lead Out initiative, Wolfe Lake Association, near Kingston, where they will arrange to have the collected lead recycled for future use in car batteries.
CTLG Lakes will gladly continue to accept and collect lead sinkers and jigs from Valley anglers. If you are headed towards Ottawa, Wild Birds Unlimited (both Kanata and Ottawa locations) is a designated drop-off and will gladly accept your donations as well. Be sure to leave your contact information for another opportunity to win a draw prize.
Thank you to all who supported our efforts. Our wildlife depends on our stewardship.
About the author: Wendy Wolak is the President of the Carson Trout Lepine and Greenan Lakes Association. Her background is in environmental and earth sciences and she has been a seasonal resident of the Madawaska Valley for over forty years.
