Birds are choking to death on discarded advertising balloons
Birds and sealife are being hurt by discarded advertising balloons.
The balloons, which are often given out by businesses or released during celebrations, are ending up in the sea and causing all sorts of problems.
A gannet and a seal are just two of the animals that have been found harmed after choking or getting strangled.
A gannet was found dead at Bawdsey Ferry, near Felixtowe, Suffolk, while a seal pup got stuck in plastic on a beach in Cornwall.
Claire Wallerstein works for Rame Peninsula Beach Care in the region and is concerned by the balloons.
She said: A packet of balloons chucked on the ground would be regarded as a littering offence.
Yet if theyre filled with helium and fall elsewhere as litter, this is perfectly legal.
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Balloons are marketed as biodegradable but all the evidence shows that they do not break down at all, or at least not for months or years.
MORE: Police officer and two men seriously injured after being mauled by dogs in Leeds
Balloons released for memorial purposes, weddings and on cruise ships are also apparently causing problems.
Cornwall Council and Plymouth City Council have already banned balloon releases from their land and campaigners hope more councils will follow them.
Ms Wallerstein added: There are many beautiful and less environmentally-harmful alternatives to balloons, including a tree or a wildflower meadow, float flowers or flower petals on water, light candles, blow giant bubbles and plenty more.
A lot of balloons have flown to the UK from mainland Europe, including Belgium.
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