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The World Forum on the Future of Sport Shooting Activities

Environment Committee

Objectives:

The WFSA understands and acknowledges a collective responsibility for protecting the global environment.

As a scientific and educational organization we are committed to monitoring and examining environmental issues related to sport shooting to insure continuity and solidarity with future generations.

Environmental Symposium and Workshops

Conference Title

An international WFSA-sponsored symposium, entitled “Workshop on Shooting Ranges: Lead Reclamation, Sound Attenuation, Backstop Construction”, was held in Palermo, Italy on October 2-3, 2007. There were 30 participants from nine countries, including the world’s leading authorities on shooting range design and management.

Experts on the environmental conditions of shooting ranges made presentations related to the management of lead, sound and projectile containment. The meeting gave an overview of the latest technologies, innovations and developments in various countries.
Conference panel

The conference explored several areas. Lead reclamation is under continuing research. There are now accepted protocols for sound mitigation. Bullet backstops have become very effective and there are many technological developments.

The proceedings are to be published.
















WFSA Workshop on Indoor Shooting Ranges

Responsible Care of the Shooting Range Environment

A workshop has been held in Rome, Italy, on September 16-17, 2005, on the management of ventilation for the safe use of indoor shooting ranges.

Organized and hosted by the World Forum on the Future of Sport Shooting Activities, it brought together a range of experts from numerous countries, who shared information from their local experience.

It was concluded that safety in the process of extracting gases resulting from indoor shooting has increased notably over the last few decades, as the technology has improved. The conference papers are to be published in booklet form.



The WFSA Lead Symposium

World Experts Discuss Future of Ammunition

Lead Symposium
WFSA Lead Symposium in Rome

The first ever World Symposium on Lead in Ammunition, held in Rome, Italy on September 9-10, 2004, was organized and hosted by the World Forum on the Future of Sport Shooting Activities. More than 140 representatives from twenty countries attended. The primary purpose was to exchange the latest information regarding the use of lead in ammunition.

The major conclusion of the conference was while lead in ammunition can pose risks in certain environments, these risks can be managed using simple and practical techniques. It was also recognized that the search for effective alternatives must continue.

The conference brought together the leading scientists and professionals, along with government officials and industry and shooting organization representatives from around the world. Their diverse backgrounds and perspectives made for lively debate and positive exchange of information.

Regardless of questions about lead, worldwide trends show Olympic, competitive shooting sport and hunter numbers remaining very substantial in the world at about a hundred million. Shooting is an important and continuing activity. Not only that, but shooting ranges have substantial community, cultural, economic and historic value.

World Leaders from 20 Countries Attended
Leading Experts from 20 Countries Attended

Thirty-two presentations were made during the symposium. Scientific studies of lead mobility and corrosion as well as lead-risk and consumer-exposure assessments were reviewed. Technical reports on requirements of ammunition performance, alternative materials currently available, environmental impacts of new materials, hazards to wildlife, methods to manage risks posed by lead ammunition and new concepts in shooting range design were all presented.

Status reports were shared on legal, legislative, policy and regulation efforts, in addition to examples of shooting sports community and agency education and outreach initiatives. While lead was of principal concern, other metals and constituents found in ammunition or used as proposed alternatives to lead were discussed. The closing session provided an opportunity for open discussion and proposed a vision for the future.

The conference concluded that the full spectrum of community practices and expectations need to be taken into account, and so does the entire environment. Identified hazards of lead such as ingestion, inhalation, environmental fate and transport need to be respected, and it is the responsibility of sport shooting associations to continue to emphasize the education aspects.

The World Forum on the Future of Sport Shooting Activities believes this conference now serves as the major reference point for legislators and shooting organizations to work together in a co-operative manner. The conference proceedings have been published in a package combining book, CD and DVD.



Programs

Lead and Alternative Materials: The Sub-Committee is taking a world leadership role in monitoring the latest developments with regard to the metallic constituents of ammunition. This includes both in projectiles themselves and on shooting ranges.

Shot Dispersal Software Project: Through one of its European member associations the WFSA Environment Sub-Committee is developing and distributing a software program to aid in the charting of lead shot dispersal on trap, skeet and sporting clays ranges.

Exchange of Information and Studies: The WFSA Environment Sub-Committee is striving to become a clearing house for information exchange. Member associations have realized through talking with each other that there are numerous studies in various jurisdictions which can be used in policy-making deliberations in other venues. The Sub-Committee formalizes the exchange of this type of information.

Monitoring International Environmental Treaties: The Sub-Committee monitors international treaties which may affect hunting and sport shooting, such as the Convention on Importation and Trade in Endangered Species and the Bio-Diversity Treaty.


Documents

These documents are in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to open them.



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