![]() The "British Isles and Republic of Ireland Marine Turtle Strandings and Sightings Annual Report 2010" found, in 32 post-mortems, that 5 of those turtles had evidence of litter ingestion. Cause of death was given as oesophageal and stomach impaction. The "UK and Eire Marine and Turtle Strandings and Sightings Annual Report 2002" reports on a green turtle found in UK waters with a large fragment of a balloon in its stomach and plastic in its oesophagus. Many marine species have been found with balloons in their stomachs, probably having mistaken them (as well as plastic bags) for jellyfish, a staple food for many species. In 2013, GOV.UK - DEFRA produced "Sky lanterns and helium balloons - an assessment of the impacts to livestock and the environment" in which they identified the choking of a goat and the fatal choking of a cow due to swallowing balloon fragments. This has been witnessed and documented in marine turtles, dolphins, whales and farm animals. Ingesting balloons can cause death by blocking the digestive and/or respiratory tracts, and is likely to be slow. The RSPCA state that deflated balloons or balloon fragments can look very attractive as food to many different animals and any fragments left on the ground or floating in water can easily be eaten. ![]() Littering from balloon and sky lantern releases not only impacts on our local environmental quality but threatens the health of wildlife as well. Litter and the threat to wildlife and other animals Sky lanterns (sometimes known as Chinese or Floating Lanterns) are made of thin paper held by a wire or bamboo frame and lifted by heat from a naked flame. This Policy covers all types of balloon and sky lantern materials, and includes single or multiple balloon and/or sky lantern releases.īalloons are any inflatable flexible bag filled with gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen or hot air made from materials such as rubber, latex, natural latex, paper, polychloroprene, foil, mylar or a nylon fabric. Piloted hot air balloons are not covered by this Policy. In order to minimise the risks, particular to the environment, livestock, wildlife and marine life, posed by the outdoor release of balloons and sky lanterns within the administrative area of Preston City Council, the Council prohibits the intentional outdoor release of balloons and sky lanterns from any land and premises owed by it. The objective of this Policy is to prohibit the intentional outdoor release of balloons and sky lanterns from Preston City Council owned land and premises, and to discourage such releases from other land within the Preston City Council area. This stance is actively supported by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), the National Farmers Union (NFU) and many other public organisations. The Marine Conservation Society (MSC) - an internationally recognised charity for the protection of seas, shores and wildlife has produced a thorough and detailed Pollution Policy and Position Statement on Balloons and Sky Lanterns, asking UK Local Authorities to recognise balloons and sky lanterns as a form of littering and to ban all outdoor releases. However, what is less known is what happens once these items have been released and the potentially harmful consequences for wildlife and property that can occur as a result of this form of celebration. In recent years outdoor balloon and sky lantern releases have become a common event at summer fairs, fundraising events, opening of new stores, or part of commemorative and celebratory occasions. ![]() Participants are not permitted to bring in alcohol or weapons of any kind.You can download a copy of the Balloon and Sky Lantern Release Policy (PDF) here or view the policy below. The Lights Fest is for all ages! There’s nothing like seeing the amazement in a child’s eyes while they gaze up into this truly magical sight. We know lantern releases can be a very healing experience for people, and we are proud to provide a way for you to do it safely and responsibly. We want to do our part in making sure no harm comes to our beautiful planet or it’s inhabitants. Our team knows how to produce a safe lantern launch, and we encourage anyone who is considering purchasing lanterns themselves online and having their own private launch to instead attend one of our events! We strive to educate others on the differences between our lanterns and generic ones available online. We do not condone the private release of sky lanterns launched outside of a professionally-run event, like ours. We do not allow outside-lanterns to be released at our events. The lanterns we supply to our participants have been strategically chosen for each specific venue and weather conditions. We are proud to say that we have held this event dozens of times in multiple countries and have a perfect safety record. ![]()
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