Plastic pollution a ballooning issue for Gold Coast waterways and this party favourite is a major culprit

NEXT time you have a party, think about ditching this party favourite. You might just save a life — and you could even help save the planet.

A Humpbacks and High Rises volunteer retrieves a balloon floating on the sea, off the Gold Coast.

DITCH the party balloons and save a marine life.

That’s the message from leading marine biologist and researcher Dr Olaf Meynecke, who is alarmed at the number of discarded balloons he has found floating off the Gold Coast.

“In January this year, the release of balloons was banned by the State Government but we are coming across the same number of balloons floating on the ocean – and possibly even more than in recent years,” he said.

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You’re not allowed to do this anymore.

“They pose a deadly threat to marine life in the Seaway and further offshore. If birds, fish and turtles eat a piece of a balloon, the result is starvation and death.

“These balloons take animals’ lives in a horrible way,” he warned.

“Every time we go out on our whale research boat, we find balloons floating on the sea, which is concerning.

A Humpbacks and High Rises volunteer retrieves a balloon floating on the sea, off the Gold Coast.

“A few days ago, we found six balloons in different colours floating a few kilometres offshore. There were other boats around and none of the people on board made any effort to remove the balloons,” he said.

Dr Meynecke, the founder of research group Humpbacks and High Rises (HHR), appealed to boaties and fishers to remove floating balloons from the sea and to safely dispose of them on land.

“I am also appealing to fishermen not to attach balloons to their fishing lines to keep them afloat. They come off so easily, so this is not a good technique,” he said.

“Surely, they can use something else when these balloons are so dangerous to our marine life?”

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The marine biologist said he and his research team had come across balloons from car yards and others which had probably been blown into the water from barbecues near the beach or children’s birthday parties.

“It’s surprising how far they are blown out – we’ve found balloons about 5km or 6km offshore, which is quite a distance,” Dr Meynecke said.

“I am encouraging people not to buy balloons and to rather replace them with party items made out of paper. Every piece of balloon that is not entering the environment may save an animal’s life.”

HHR is raising funds so that is can collect more rubbish from the Gold Coast bay. Visit everydayhero.com.au/event/whaleresearch.