'Don't let the balloons go up any more' Animals put in danger, say experts.Byline: Tony Henderson NATURE bodies in the North East are calling for an end to charity balloon releases. Durham Biodiversity Partnership and the Marine Conservation Society are working with a number of landowners to halt balloon releases in the region. The releases are often used as a method of fund raising for charities, schools and local groups and it is acknowledged they can play an important part in raising money. But there are concerns about the environmental impact. The Marine Conservation Society is encouraging the use of balloons for fun and publicity without their release through its Don't Let Go! campaign. On release, most balloons will float up to a height of approximately five miles where pressure and temperature will cause it to burst with small fragments floating back to ground or sea. However up to 10% of released balloons do not burst, and return to the ground intact where they can pose a serious threat to wildlife as animals accidentally eat them, mistaking them for food. Turtles are particularly at risk as they can easily confuse balloons with their jellyfish prey. Once ingested, balloons block digestive systems and can cause animals to starve. Wildlife can also become entangled in balloon ribbons and string, restricting their movement and their ability to feed. Durham Biodiversity Partnership is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the launch of the first Durham Biodiversity Action Plan ''This article is about a conservation biology topic. For other uses of BAP, see BAP (disambiguation). A Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) is an internationally recognized program addressing threatened species and habitats, which is designed to protect and restore biological at a free nature festival on August 21 at Saltwell Park Saltwell Park is a Victorian park situated in Gateshead, England. Also known as the "People's Park" and part of Gateshead's heritage since it opened to the public in 1876, the park is steeped in history. , Gateshead. To show their commitment to work towards stopping balloon releases in the Durham Biodiversity Action Plan area, several organisations will sign an action pledge at the festival. They include South Tyneside South Tyneside is a metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear in North East England. It is bordered by four other boroughs - Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead to the west, Sunderland in the south, and North Tyneside to the north. Council, Gateshead Council, Durham Wildlife Trust The Durham Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering County Durham, England. Durham Wildlife Trust manages 25 Nature Reserves and covers an area from the Tyne to the Tees, encompassing the County of Durham, the City of Sunderland, and the Boroughs of Gateshead, South , the Environment Agency and Natural England Natural England is a Non-Departmental Public Body of the UK government. It was formed (vested) on 1 October 2006. It is responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, freshwater and marine environments, geology and soils, are . "It is hoped that this pledge will go a large way towards stopping the practice of balloon releases in our region and raising awareness of the impact that such releases have on our wildlife," said a festival spokesman. Admission to the festival is free. The event will begin at 11.30am and end at 4pm . CAPTION(S): WARNING Releasing balloons may be a good charity idea, but they are posing a serious threat to wildlife, say some campaigners. |
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