Marine Life & Conservation
Diving instructor calls for balloon and sky lantern releases to be banned
Rosemary E Lunn, aka Roz Lunn, an Associate Member of the Women Divers Hall of Fame and a SSI Platinum Diver recipient, is calling for support to get balloon and sky lantern releases banned.
“I’ve been diving in and round the UK for over two decades. For several years, I along with many of my friends and colleagues, have known about the plastic pollution crisis – we routinely ‘dive against debris’ and take part in beach and seabed clean ups. And thanks to Blue Planet 2 the public are finally realising we have a problem.”
Positive things are happening. Microbeads now banned in some products in England and Scotland, and it looks as though plastic straws and plastic ear buds will be banned too. There is also a vigorous debate going on about one-time-use plastic packaging. However one piece of litter literally on the rise is debris from balloon and sky lantern releases.
Balloon releases are conducted to raise awareness – the sex of a baby, a wedding, a charity – or to pay respect to someone’s legacy. This is is ironic because it just creates sky litter that can kill, entangle or maim. Regrettably education only goes so far, hence we have seen the introduction of the sugar tax. Some people will still carry on releasing balloons and sky lanterns no matter how much or often you advise them it’s not good for animals or the environment.
There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about ‘biodegradable’ balloons. So many people think that if they use these balloons then that is ok, but sadly there is no such thing as an environmentally friendly latex balloon. They take fewer years to rot down, but they can still kill wild, farm and marine life before they decompose.
Dr. Lydia Uddstrom necropsy of a Green Sea Turtle having eaten Biodegradable balloon
A number of divers have been actively campaigning to get balloon releases banned, aw well as organisations including the Marine Conservation Society. Earlier this year many of us were pushing a petition asking the Government to ban balloon and sky lantern releases. It garnered 30,000 signatures very quickly. However DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) responded and ‘killed’ the momentum by stating “they considered the current regulatory regime, supported by existing information and guidance, effective and proportionate.”
Unfortunately DEFRA quoted from a Government Report – http://bit.ly/2GcuEU0 – they had commissioned in 2013 to assess the impact and risks that balloons and sky lanterns have on livestock and the environment. In 2013 this environmental impact was judged as low. That was five years ago. Roz Lunn says she is now routinely picking balloon litter out of the hedges.
A new peer-reviewed study by Delia M. Webb has just been published that reveals 2,223 pieces of balloon litter were found on 39 beaches across Cornwall between July to December 2016. The study entitled “Just a balloon? A local study of the extent and impacts of balloon litter on beaches” has reported that some of the balloons found on Cornish beaches had travelled from other parts of the UK, Ireland and Europe.
We know that balloon litter and debris can kill and maim farm, wild and marine life. Ponies have been found choking to death, skeletons of dead birds are discovered entangled in balloon ribbon and turtles have starved to death having snacked on balloons thinking they were jelly fish. There really is no need for this mass littering.
Roz has therefore launched another balloon release petition asking Parliament to ban this anti-social practice. At the time of writing this the petition has received 29,485 signatures – see https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/215782. The Government’s response has been to effectively kick the can down the road by again referencing the 2013 study and saying everything is fine. We now have verified research that is no longer the case, and 70,000 signatures are needed by September, so that Parliament can consider debating this issue.
So please take a moment and sign the petition. Write to your MP and start making noises that balloon and sky lantern releases are bad. Together the voice of British scuba divers can make an environmental difference.
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
Until 28 November, prizes worth a massive £10,000 – including experiences, products and tuition – feature in a line-up of items that can be won for £5 in an online prize draw to celebrate Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s 20th anniversary and help generate crucial funds for the future.
Top of the list of prizes is the chance to spend time with adventurer and wildlife expert Steve Backshall, a workout session with Nat Geo star Aldo Kane, a kayaking trip alongside white-water expert and diver Sal Montgomery and a Zoom call with ‘shark whisperer’ Cristina Zenato.
On top of that, some of the most admired companies in the diving and scuba industry have been quick to support the charity with fabulous prizes that make the £5 ticket price worth more than just a flutter.
Master Liveaboards, BSAC, Midlands Diving Chamber, Go Freediving and Blue Shark Snorkel have all generously donated experience prizes, while celebrated photographer Alex Mustard has donated a print and artists Scott Gleed and Olivier Leger have donated a sculpture and illustration to help boost the fundraising pot.
Fourth Element has donated Ocean Positive gear and LA watch company Nodus has gifted the charity a stunning dive watch. For land lovers, the charity has included a five star London hotel stay at Bankside Hotel plus a family visit to Longleat Safari Park in the roster of prizes.
Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support from companies and individuals that we truly admire and who have supported us on our 20 year journey and we’re truly grateful to them all. While we feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past two decades – and we are super excited about the next chapter – this prize draw isn’t a vanity project. It represents a real lifeline to our work and important advancements in the global protection of sharks. So we hope divers, dive clubs and even bargain hunters grab some tickets to make this a massive success.”
The charity hopes that the prize draw will generate crucial funds to launch a brand new, ground-breaking, campaign to enrol the public and increase support for the protection of sharks around the world.
To enter the competition visit www.bite-back.com/prizedraw. The prize winners will be announced on 1 December 2024.
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