Balloon releases endanger wildlife, especially at sea.

02/03/2007 00:00:00 It's a classic school and village fete past time, release the balloons and whoever goes furthest wins a prize, what harm can come of that? Well, quite a lot it seems. Apart from the obvious littering of the countryside and beaches, the discarded balloons can kill endangered wildlife.

­­­The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has launched a campaign to highlight the dangers of balloon releases for marine wildlife. The Don't Let Go campaign aims to discourage balloon releases, while suggesting more environmentally friendly and fun ways of using balloons. Balloon litter floating at sea can be deadly for many marine wildlife species. Sea turtles and birds are particularly at risk, as they feed at the surface. They can mistake floating balloons for jellyfish and swallow them, or become entangled in the ribbons. A balloon will block the digestive tract if swallowed and eventually lead to death by starvation. Whales, fish and dolphins have also died as a result of eating balloons. Many balloons are made from biodegradable latex, which degrades when exposed to air. Studies indicate that latex balloons degrade in about 6 months, however those floating in seawater deteriorate more slowly, and can take up to 12 months. Either way, it is still easily long enough to kill wildlife and litter the countryside. Of course any ribbons and cards attached to the balloon may take much longer to degrade.

Tragically in 2001, a juvenile green turtle was found dead at Knott End-on-Sea beach near Blackpool, having starved because a latex balloon blocked its gut; other deaths by balloon litter are known worldwide. In 2004, another leatherback turtle washed up close to death in North Carolina. The turtle had to be put down and an investigation revealed that its gut was completely blocked by plastic from a balloon.

Courtesy of the The Marine Conservation Society (MCS).