A voluntary pledge to phase out toxic lead shot in the UK has failed, posing risks to both wildlife and human health, according to a new study.

In February 2020, the UK’s nine leading game shooting and rural organisations committed to phasing out lead ammunition by 2025. The aim was to protect wildlife, safeguard the environment, and keep toxic lead out of the human food chain while avoiding a full government ban. Non-toxic alternatives, such as steel cartridges, were recommended for shooting birds.

However, recent research indicates that little progress has been made. A study of 171 pheasants killed during the 2024-25 shooting season found that, where shot was present in the carcass, all but one bird had been killed using lead ammunition. The researchers also examined shotgun pellets from red grouse carcasses purchased from butchers and online retailers. Of the 78 grouse carcasses where shot was recovered, all contained lead.

Wildlife charities warn that lead shot poses a significant threat to birds. Waterfowl, for example, often mistake lead pellets for seeds and ingest them. The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) estimates that up to 100,000 waterbirds die from lead poisoning in the UK each winter.

Lead is also highly toxic to humans, even in small amounts. It poses particular risks to young children and unborn babies. Food safety agencies recommend that pregnant women and young children avoid or limit their consumption of game meat from animals shot with lead ammunition.

The UK government faces a deadline of 13 March to decide whether to implement a full ban on lead ammunition. The Health and Safety Executive has advised the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) to prohibit the use of lead shot for live quarry and target shooting. This measure would prevent approximately 7,000 tonnes of lead from polluting the environment annually. The use of lead shot in wetlands already banned in Europe.

Several conservation groups, including the WWT, RSPB, Wildlife and Countryside Link, Chem Trust, and Wild Justice, have written to the government urging a comprehensive ban on lead ammunition.

A study by scientists from the University of Cambridge and the University of the Highlands and Islands, published in the journal Conservation Evidence, confirmed that the voluntary transition has failed. Since 2020, researchers have monitored compliance by enlisting volunteers to purchase whole pheasants from game dealers, butchers, and supermarkets across Britain, analysing embedded shotgun pellets.

“Many members of the shooting community had hoped that the voluntary pledge away from lead ammunition would avert the need for regulation. But the voluntary route has now been tested – with efforts made by many people – and it has not been successful,” said Prof Rhys Green of the University of Cambridge’s zoology department and lead author of the report.

Despite mounting evidence, some shooting groups have suggested that they oppose a complete ban, expressing concerns that outlawing lead ammunition could discourage participation in the sport.

Green said: “Private individuals pay a lot of money to shoot pheasants on some private estates – and people don’t like to change their habits. It’s a bit like wearing car seatbelts, or not smoking in pubs. Despite the good reasons for doing these things, some people were strongly against using regulation to achieve those changes, which are now widely accepted as beneficial. The parallel with shooting game with lead shotgun ammunition is striking.”

The study co-author Dr Mark Taggart, of the University of the Highlands and Islands, said: “Shooting organisations did a lot of questionnaire surveys when the pledge was introduced in 2020, and the results suggested many shooters thought the time had come to switch away from lead ammunition. Those responses stand in contrast to what we’ve actually measured for both pheasant and grouse.”

A Defra spokesperson said: “This government supports shooting that is sustainable and conducted in full accordance with the law. We are currently assessing the Health and Safety Executive’s advice on restricting lead in ammunition. The use of lead shot in England is already prohibited in specific circumstances, including some sites of special scientific interest.”