Toxic lead ammunition banned to protect Britain’s countryside
New ban on use of lead in ammunition to protect iconic wildlife and clean up the nation’s waterways
Red kite perched in a tree
Red kites and white-tailed eagles will receive greater protection thanks to new restrictions on the use of lead in ammunition, Environment Minister Emma Hardy announced today (Thursday 10 July 2025).
To protect iconic British wildlife and clean up the nation’s waterways, new measures will ban shot containing more than 1% lead and bullets with a lead content of more than 3%. Beyond limited exemptions, these types of ammunition will no longer be sold to the public.
The ban will prevent the release of an estimated 7,000 tonnes of the toxic metal into fields, forests and wetlands each year. Up to 100,000 wildfowl, including ducks, swans and waders, die from lead poisoning annually, with birds often confusing the scattered shot for grit and consuming it.
Evidence from the Health and Safety Executive shows lead poses a risk to at least 1 million birds over the coming decades if usage continues at its current rate, while around 40,000 birds of prey such as red kites and white-tailed eagles are at risk from ingesting lead through carrion.
Introducing restrictions will also stop lead from contaminating soil and leaching into rivers when guns are discharged and spread the harmful metal, ensuring ecosystems thrive for both wildlife and people alike.
Environment Minister Emma Hardy said:
Britain is a proud nation of nature lovers, but our rivers are heavily polluted, and majestic birds are declining at an alarming rate.
This new ban on lead in ammunition for most uses will help reverse this – rejuvenating pride in our countryside by protecting precious birdlife and cleaning up rivers.
Non-lead alternatives are readily available, and we’ll continue to work closely with the shooting sector throughout this transition.
Following extensive public engagement, a three-year transition period will support the shooting and hunting sectors to shift to more environmentally friendly alternatives. There will also be a two-year period for outdoor shooting ranges where lead is used to implement measures that prevent pollution from entering the environment.
Alternatives to lead shot have become more efficient and widely available in recent years, with steel and tungsten-based shot being two popular options. The government will continue to engage with the shooting industry to support the transition to alternative ammunition types.
In December 2024, the Health and Safety Executive published their Final Opinion proposing restrictions on the supply and outdoor uses of lead in ammunition – and the government has now taken action to reduce toxic substances from entering the environment.
As part of the restrictions, there will be exemptions in place for the military, police, elite athletes, outdoor target shooting ranges with risk management measures in place, museum collections and other minor uses. Small calibre bullets for live quarry shooting – the outdoor shooting of live animals – and airguns are not in scope of the restriction.