The Common Loon's struggle against Lead Tackle

         The Common Loon is a large, aquatic bird that is native to the northeast of the United States.  These birds have inhabited this area for centuries and are starting to become less and less likely to survive due to to human interaction and specifically to lead tackle.  Before I start to talk about the effects of lead tackle to these birds I want to give you a little biological info for this beautiful species.
          Gavia immer, more commonly known as the Common Loon or Great Northern Loon, is a large waterfowl found in large lakes during the summer and they migrate to the coastal oceans during the winter.  These birds can reach quite a size with a reported wingspan of around five feet at the largest and can weigh almost 20lbs!  May not seem like a lot of weight but considering this bird is capable of flight, 20lbs is quite a feat.  They are amazing divers and that is actually the way they hunt, they dive underneath the water surface and catch fish like yellow perch.  These birds nest during the summer months and create a monogamous pair between two individuals.  This monogamous pair will stay a pair for about three months and they will create nests on the waterfront and lay a clutch of up to two eggs.  The chicks that hatch will stay with their parents until winter comes along and by then they will be old enough and strong enough to fend for themselves.  Loons are very sensitive to changes in their environment and this has caused them to have quite a struggle with human changes.
         Fishing is a main concern with loon safety because of two things; line entanglement and lead tackle.  Line entanglement occurs from fishing line that has been abandoned or stuck to fish with tackle inside of them.  The line can tangle around the beak of the animal and impede its ability to hunt which can lead to death.  Lead tackle is one of the hugest killers of loons and other waterfowl.  Because of the birds' relative smaller bodies, when they ingest lead from a wounded fish or lost tackle at the bottom of a lake it causes major health issues.  Lead poisoning attacks the nervous system of these animals and lack of coordination of movement and hunting can also lead to death.
I want to spread these facts because these are beautiful animals that shouldn't be in danger of going extinct because of our poor tackle management.  Lead tackle should be limited in its use or removed completely.  Losing top predators of our lake ecosystems could cause a chain reaction down the food chain and maybe the results of that is something we can't fix.  Please fish responsibly.