Helium balloons and Chinese lanterns could be a danger to Irish wildlife

Mass releases of either helium balloons or Chinese lanterns are becoming increasingly popular at celebrations, fundraisers and other such events, writes Dick Warner. 

However, a call to have them banned has recently been issued jointly by the Irish Wildlife Trust, the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, BirdWatch Ireland and the Irish Seal Sanctuary.

At first sight this might seem like a rather killjoy move. However, a bit more research into what actually happens to the balloons and lanterns after they’re released reveals that they pose a real and growing threat to wildlife and, in some cases, to farm livestock.

The balloons are made of latex rubber and normally have strings attached. The bulk of them when they’re released rise to 7,000m to 8,000m and then burst due to changes in atmospheric pressure. The latex and string then become heavier than air and fall back to earth — or, in the case of most balloons released in Ireland, into the sea. Some of the balloons are described as being biodegradable or eco-friendly. Even these remain a threat for some time. The latex takes about 12 months to degrade in salt water and about half that on land. Synthetic fibre strings take even longer.

They pose three kinds of threat to wildlife. The first is ingestion. They are eaten by creatures like whales and dolphins, marine turtles and, in some cases, cattle. The marine creatures may mistake the latex for jellyfish, it’s hard to know what the cattle were thinking.

In any case it’s not good for them and can result in death due to a blocked digestive tract. The second threat involves entanglement in the remains of the balloon, particularly the strings. Seabirds are at particular risk from this threat and there are several recorded cases of it killing them.

Finally, as the latex breaks down in water it causes pollution. A 1986 study showed that latex killed 95% of phytoplankton within four days and phytoplankton are the vital foundation for the food pyramid in marine ecosystems.

Chinese lanterns are small, unmanned hot air balloons and they pose slightly different threats. They contain no plastics, being made of paper, bamboo and wire, but they pose a fire risk and coastguard officers have mistaken them for distress flares, resulting in considerable wastage of manpower and money. The wire and the bamboo also pose the threats of entanglement and damage if they’re ingested. They have caused livestock deaths in the UK.

The spectacle created by a mass release of helium balloons or Chinese lanterns is great fun and I’m always reluctant about supporting a ban on something that’s fun. However, sifting through all the evidence I have to admit that the case for the ban is very strong.