AUGUSTA — Gov. Janet Mills has signed a bill into law that seeks to protect Maine’s loon population by phasing out the use and sale of certain small, painted lead fishing jigs.

One of Maine’s most beloved wildlife species, loons are threatened by the use of painted lead fishing tackle, which Mills and experts have said can kill loons and other waterfowl.

Common loons can ingest lost or discarded fishing tackle at the bottom of the lakes, or consume smaller fish that have swallowed the tackle, which can lead to sickness or death.

Under the new law, retailers will be prohibited from selling the jigs beginning Sept. 1, 2024, while users will be banned from casting such tackle into state waters beginning Sept. 1, 2026.

“Death by lead poisoning is avoidable,” says Francesca Gundrum, policy advocate with Maine Audubon, a group focused on wildlife and wildlife habitat conservation. “This new law will help put a stop to needless suffering for this beloved Maine species.”

Gov. Janet Mills has signed a bill into law that seeks to protect Maine’s loon population by phasing out the use and sale of certain small, painted lead fishing jigs. Above, a mother loon carrying her young. Submitted file photo

The new law builds upon a previous law that had banned over five years the use and sale of bare lead sinkers and unpainted jigs that weighed an ounce or less or measured less than 2.5 inches.

A loophole remained that allowed the sale and use of painted jigs in the prohibited weight and length limit. Because paint does not affect the dangers of the banned jigs, the damage remained.

Elizabeth Neale Pollock, coordinator of the annual loon count on Cobbossee Lake, noted in her testimony the alarming decrease each year in the number of adult and chick loons.

“When the ultimate cause of death of loons can be determined, lead poisoning continues to be one of the leading causes of death,” she said. “Once having consumed lead, loons experience a two- to four-week slow death, causing blindness, paralysis, seizures and “wing droop” during this painful and preventable death.”

Dianne Winn, former executive director of Avian Haven, a wild bird rehabilitation center in Freedom, also noted in her testimony that lead poisoning causes significant damage to the loon population.

“Since 2000, Avian Haven has admitted a total of 455 common loons, of which 41 have presented with ingested lead sinkers or jigs and extremely high blood lead levels,” she said.

Winn also said that despite various medical efforts to treat loons with lead poisoning over the years, not one of the loons has survived.

Many, including lead scientists, anglers, veterinarians and environmental organizations, submitted testimonies supporting the bill, with more than 1,000 people signing the Maine Audubon petition favoring the bill.

The bill faced opposition from many sport fishing groups, including some that complained it would increase their costs because of the need to swap out fishing gear.

To alleviate the situation, the state and Maine Audubon have launched a program for users to exchange their lead fishing tackle for vouchers to buy lead-free equipment.