Calls to ban balloon releases as strings become biggest sea bird killer
South Coast News, Other, 04/02/2022, Nathan Schmidt
Plastic strings tied to errant balloons have become the single biggest killer of seabirds from marine debris pushing advocacy groups to call for a ban on their release into the atmosphere. Government pledges $1 billion for Great Barrier Reef The NSW State Government is being urged to ban the release of balloons into the atmosphere and regulate the sale of helium as marine rescue groups decry the devastating and deadly effect the party favour is having on local seabirds and turtles. Plastic strings tied to balloons released on the Australian coastline have become the single biggest killer of seabirds from marine debris, according to a 2021 study by the CSIRO and the University of Tasmania which analysed the cause of death of more than 1700 birds.