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When Balloons Fly, Sea Birds Die campaign sign. Girl with pink hat blowing bubbles. When Balloons Fly, Sea Birds Die campaign sign. Girl with pink hat blowing bubbles.

More than 80% of seabird chicks on Lord Howe Island have ingested rubbish, with balloons and their attachments one of the most identifiable items.

We love balloons, but when they're used outdoors they can end up in waterways and oceans around Australia, harming precious wildlife.

 

The CSIRO (2016) outlined balloons as being in the top three most harmful pollutants threatening marine wildlife. Every day, balloons are released or accidentally escape from outdoor events where they almost definitely end up in waterways and oceans and can be mistaken by animals for food.

Promise to blow bubbles, not balloons at your next outdoor event.

Register your organisation as balloon-free now
Balloon clips and plastic removed from a Flesh-footed Shearwater on Lord Howe Island. Source: Ian Hutton
Balloon clips and plastic removed from a Flesh-footed Shearwater on Lord Howe Island. Source: Ian Hutton

Case Study

Year after year, balloon-related waste is one of the most prevalent and identifiable items found in the stomachs of Flesh-footed Shearwater chicks on the Australia's Lord Howe Island. 

In many cases, adult birds are feeding their chicks this rubbish thinking it is food. Baby birds are often found underweight and starving and can die before ever leaving the nest.

Bubble blowing is not just for kids...
Bubble blowing is not just for kids...

Measuring the impact of this campaign

With help from our partners, we will monitor the prevalence of balloons and their attachments ending up on beaches and in the stomachs of shearwater chicks over time.
We aim to observe the eventual elimination of balloons and their attachments in the environment.
Miss Wing the penguin enjoying watching bubbles being blown.

Meet the seabirds most affected by balloons

Flesh-footed Shearwaters - near threatened

These migratory birds breed in colonies, with one of their main colonies found on Lord Howe Island. Here their numbers are in decline due to mistakenly ingesting rubbish and even feeding it to their chicks.

Short-tailed Shearwaters - population decreasing

Short-tailed Shearwaters are one of the few migratory birds that come to Australia to breed on Phillip Island. Both parents feed their chicks when they return from foraging at sea, and the shearwaters remain on the island until April, when the fledglings are strong enough to start the 15,000 km flight back to Alaska. On the long journey, many birds mistake plastics floating on the ocean’s surface as food.

Planning a balloon-free event?

Whether it’s your school fete, sports carnival, market or party, you can make it balloon-free. You can make your next outdoor event seabird-safe by switching balloons with one of these wildlife-friendly alternatives.

Register your balloon-free event
  • Bubbles
  • Paper balloons
  • Bunting
  • Flags or banners
  • Kites
  • Candles
  • Floating flowers
  • Planting a tree

Make your own bubbles for your next outdoor event with our special bubble recipe! 

 

Bubble Mix Recipe - (PDF)

 

 

See our campaign supporters

 

 

Fact sheet: When balloons fly, seabirds die - (PDF)

 

 

For more information on the When Balloons Fly, Seabirds Die campaign contact the Conservation Campaigns team.

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