This was one of those occasions when all organisations representing hunters and sports shooters reached a consensus on a common position, representing the majority of Latvian hunters: lead ammunition in waterbird hunting should be banned, but they stood against the specific European Commission proposal, highlighting several significant problems that would hinder the effective implementation of this proposal, compliance with requirements, and subsequent enforcement.

International agreements and conventions apply to the phasing out of lead ammunition in wetlands. However, the European Commission (EC) is failing to take into account the findings of the ECHA (European Chemicals Agency) review report; the EC wants to introduce 100-metre buffer zones around wetlands, which no longer encompass wetlands themselves and cannot be realistically identified or measured in the field. There are also issues with the definition of wetlands, which, in the most literal sense, would also apply to a rain-soaked meadow, a flooded ditch, and even a fountain.

The attending hunting and sports shooting organisations pointed out that there had been no prior discussion as to whether the lead ammunition bans should also apply to shooting ranges. The ECHA review report does not contain comprehensive information on the impact of a lead ammunition ban on shooting ranges. Representatives of shooting ranges pointed out that this ban could threaten the future of shooting sports – specifically those disciplines that involve shooting at clay targets.