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The draft regulations
The aim of this project is to limit, then ban outright, the use of lead in recreational fishing.
Proposed timetable :
- A ban on lead shot weighing less than 50 grams from 2029,
- Extension to all lead weights (over 50 grams) by 2031.
The measure is part of the European REACH plan, which regulates hazardous chemical substances.
The REACH plan?
REACH is the European Regulation n°1907/2006 on the Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals. It strictly regulates the use of chemical substances in the EU, including lead in recreational fishing.
Its main objectives:
- Protect human health and the environment against the risks of chemicals.
- Promote the substitution of hazardous substances with safer alternatives.âeuros
- Enhance the competitiveness of the European chemical industry through greater transparency.
Economic and technical issues
In France, the leisure fishing industry consumes around 1,000 tonnes of lead a year, equivalent to a few hundred grams per angler.
However, lead replacement poses concrete problems:
Difficulties in finding effective substitutes for different types of fishing (freshwater fishing, deep-sea fishing, etc.).
Foreseeable rise in costs: alternatives exist (tungsten, steel, bismuth, polymers) but could multiply the price of frames and weights by 3 to 5.
Costly industrial adaptation, particularly for fishing tackle manufacturers.
Available alternatives
- Tungsten : high-density, high-performance, but very expensive.
- Steel : inexpensive but bulky, making it less suitable for certain types of fine fishing.
- Bismuth or tin : but fragile or difficult to mould.
- Biobased polymers : promising, but still experimental.
Sector concerns
GIFAP (Groupement de l'industrie française d'articles de pêche) alerts on :
- A risk of market disruption due to a lack of mature technical solutions.
- A threat to small manufacturers.
- Ecological arguments deemed insufficiently proven for sea fishing (lead does not accumulate in the same way as in freshwater).
Some member states are therefore calling for a more flexible timetable or targeted exemptions while viable alternatives are developed.
