I was reading on the BBC today how some biologists are calling for a ban on mass balloon releases because birds are eating them and dying as a result. At first I thought this sounded like another overreaction, but after reading the article it seems like birds and other animals are being killed from eating balloons.
The balloon association says there is no proof, but it seems there is photographic evidence....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7447381.stm
I've always cringed a bit at mass balloon releases. Even if they don't get eaten they're a great way of littering remote areas.
I completely agree! Balloons can kill animals in some cases, but do we really want hundreds of burst balloons littering our countryside anyway?
I think we should all be supporting this call - it's not only birds that are at risk - all sorts of marine wildlife is affected which is why the Marine Conservation Society has long been calling for such a ban. What I've just started doing is checking the websites of all the non conservation charities I support and if I see that they suggest mass balloon releases as a way of getting publicity/fundraising I ask them to think again in the interests of wildlife. I ask them to look at the information on the MCS website and try to think of alternatives. I try to be constructive and point out that I am a supporter of theirs with an interest in wildlife and I would really like to see them take this on board. My aim is to educate without ranting which I believe is the best way to get the message across.
Cag
agreed - it is important that we educate, most people haven't a clue that what they are doing is bad for wildlife, environment etc. when you point it out to them and give them sources of information in most cases they are more than happy to change what they are doing
cagandnant, that's a really great idea. People are probably completely innocent when it comes to releasing balloons that they don't even give it a second thought, but the reality is it is killing animals and polluting the environment for no good reason.
As an aside, some of these balloons find their way into the sea, where seabirds mistake the white, red and pink ones as pieces of fish, squid and octopus, and promptly gulp them down. Apparently a survey was carried out of the contents of dead seabirds' stomachs that were washed up on the beaches, and something like 95% of these contained some form of plastic or rubber, which probably contributed heavily to their deaths.........
It's not just seabirds that are affected - a juvenile green turtle was washed up dead on a Blackpool beach, its digestive tract was completely blocked by marine debris which included a large fragment of blue latex balloon. They mistake the floating balloon pieces for jellyfish.
It's definitely not an overreaction for me. Releasing balloons is an innocent thing to do, but it is damaging wildlife and polluting the environment, in a completely unnecessary way.
Apparently a survey was carried out of the contents of dead seabirds' stomachs that were washed up on the beaches, and something like 95% of these contained some form of plastic or rubber, which probably contributed heavily to their deaths.........
That's terrible! If the problem really is that widespread, and it it is killing that many birds, there should be no question about the releasing of balloons.