A recent survey revealed plastic balloons and balloon fragments are the most fatal type of marine pollution for seabirds.
The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, examined the stomach contents of 1,733 dead seabirds and linked plastic consumption to more than a quarter of the fatalities.
According to the new research, the outlook is especially grim when a bird eats soft plastic, which is 32 times more likely to kill them than hard plastic such as straws and LEGO bricks. Even though only 5% of the debris found in the seabirds’ stomachs was soft plastic, it accounted for 40% of deaths.
The study was authored by Lauren Roman, a doctoral candidate with the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania in Australia. She explained, “A hard piece of plastic has to be the absolute wrong shape and size to block a region in the birds’ gut, whereas soft rubber items can contort to get stuck.”
In addition to balloons, some other examples of soft plastic are packaging, rubber, and foam.
Floating garbage often gets mistaken as food and snatched up by seabirds, and the consequences are devastating. Plastic kills birds by creating blockages in their stomachs, which causes them to starve to death.
Roman referred to the ingestion of all types of marine debris as a “globally recognized threat,” pointing out that although the study revealed alarming information about the threat of soft plastics, all plastic pollution is hazardous to wildlife.
Around 180 marine animals are known to ingest plastic, including small creatures that live deep in the ocean, and the problem is worsening. Some scientists have warned that if not enough is done to reduce or remove the presence of plastic in the world’s waterways, 250 million tons of it will accumulate by the year 2025.
Did we think of balloons when recycling plastic? The damage they cause is tragic and avoidable. Balloons are fun at parties but please pop them and dispose properly when the festivities are over. Also pop any stray balloons you find. You will make a useful contribution to our precious wildlife.
Please, think of the animals.
Plastic and rubber is a dumbfounded cheap way to sell and saturate the animal habitats. The new recycle sources is the only solution that must bring the changes.
Keep balloons at home. Save the seabirds and wildlife.
Keep balloons at home . Seagulls should not die because of balloons.
WHO NEEDS TO SEND BALLOONS TO THE SKY? WHO IS THERE TO PICK IT UP. PLEASE “BAN” THIS IDIOTIC PRACTICE OF RELEASING BALLOONS TO THE THIN AIR. There should be Heavy fines & punishments be imposed on anyone who break the laws.
What a tragedy. How does all this trash end up in our oceans? What can we do? Is it mainly from people being thoughtless and lazy?
PLEASE STOP IT!!!!!!!…..
History will show how much destruction man has caused to our planet.
PLEASE, people, do NOT buy balloons! They are very bad for the environment.
Plastic must be banned
Plastic must be banned!
The photo shown of the sea birds and large round objects which are called plastic balloons are in fact, I believe, plastic fishing buoys which wash up on islands in the South Pacific. If you look closely at the photo, you will see a protruding part which you can actually grab. That protruding part is used to hook the buoy onto fishing lines. All of this being said, balloons themselves are definitely a danger to sea birds, but there is absolutely no way that a sea bird could chew or bite these fishing buoys.
Dit moet STOPPEN, LAAT DE DIEREN, DIEREN ZIJN
This is a period in our world that it would be great if we could go back in history before plastic was invented. There is no reason for plastic bottles, plastic straws, plastic TV dinner trays, etc.. cardboard, paper, and glass would work better and are recycled easier. Let us all take a step back and have companies that make the problem items to make a change to save sealife, the ocean, and the earth, all which would help save mankind. Just do it.
Why aren’t balloons banned? 🎈🎈🎈 😡😠🤬
Not only sea birds but aquatic animals too
Land animals as well.
Surely there’s a better way to celebrate.
I do not know why those damn balloons are not banned worldwide – we KNOW for years that they kill wildlife of all kinds, sea life and land life.
I cringe when I see some stupid balloon release because I KNOW how that will end up.
Why is nonsense like this still allowed?
Humankind – the only animal that destroys its own home.
Mankind is the most violent wreckless species on earth. We are killing the planet with our waste and pollution. I’m afraid nothing can be done. Very discouraging. Poor birds
What are we doing?