From Jennifer Bouchet.
PERHAPS I am being cynical, but as NABAS (JEP, 13 July) is an association solely dedicated to the balloon industry it might just have a vested interest in condoning mass balloon releases.
As far as I know, none of the points in my previous letter was factually incorrect. I took my information from a long-standing web page written by the Marine Conservation Society, as did NABAS, except it has used the information as a pretext to justify balloon releases.
The MCS prefers the use of latex balloons over the foil variety, but it certainly doesn’t support mass releases.
Balloons may only have accounted for 10.6 items per km in the annual Beachwatch survey, but they aren’t really an everyday item compared with most of the litter collected.
It is true that it is impossible to prove a balloon might have caused the death of a marine animal, but the following species (all of which occur in the north-east Atlantic waters off the UK) have been reported with latex balloons in their digestive systems: common dolphin, Risso’s dolphin, loggerhead turtle, leatherback turtle, blue shark and northern fulmar.
I agree that our seas are polluted with vast quantities of non-degradable rubbish, most of which is far worse than the odd latex balloon. This is a separate issue and should not be dragged into the argument as a reason why it is acceptable to risk putting yet more refuse, even if it is less harmful, into our oceans.
Local charities have now had the opportunity to consider both sides of the argument and can make up their own minds. Personally, I hope that if they decide to use balloons in fund-raising events, they will do so in alternative ways.
