Mylar Balloons

[Oceanista]

I have to say that I am absolutely sickened by the enormous amount of mylar balloons I've seen in the ocean lately. I was out yesterday and must have seen over 100 in the 70 miles I tracked. I stopped and netted a few, but would still be out there if I tried to get all of them. Short of banning them, there's only one thing we can do: net them and dispose of them properly. As fishermen, we're custodians of the sea and it's our responsibility to keep it clean. I don't even throw cigarette butts in the water anymore. And just because it's "legal" to throw aluminum over the side while fishing the canyons: just DON'T.

If we all pitch in just a little, there will be a huge improvement.

<end rant>

[tjd24]

I completely agree. Nearly every weekend trip I pick up a mylar or rubber balloon on my way to fish in NY Bight. I figure every little bit helps.

If everyone saw the NAT GEO Special about ocean wildlife (sharks, sea turtles, mammals, etc.) ingesting these things and starving to death, they be more careful about proper disposal.

[NoLimit]

If you think a few grams of polyester is bad, check out the millions of tons of dead juvenile by catch thrown overboard each year.

[Oceanista]

Sure, dead bycatch is a HUGE problem, but at least it gets absorbed back into the ecosystem as food for countless members of the food chain. This polyester or other petro product does NOT get absorbed. Multiply those "few grams" by a few million and yes, it's just as grave an issue as bycatch.

[CatchEmUp]

They should be banned. I think the uptick in the numbers you're seeing is due to all the graduations.... I was in Asbury when the HS had their graduation at the Convention Center. The number of mylar balloons that were released either on purpose or by accident was ridiculous and every single one floated out to sea.

Why can't there be a good on-shore wind when you need it.

[Oceanista]

It's awful. I was at the beach in Long Branch last year when a class was having some sort of ceremony which included a mass balloon release. It could have been a good teaching moment, but I wasn't sure if it would have been received well.

[Billfish715]

Think about what that balloon with the strings attached looks like to a loggerhead turtle. Many turtles eat jellyfish as part of their diet. A mylar balloon, deflated or inflated, floating on the surface, looks like dinner to a turtle. Once it's ingested, it's lights out for the unsuspecting turtle.

[Oceanista]

Exactly. I saw 1 turtle yesterday, floating very, very still. I didn't have the balls to get too close to it to see if it had anything trailing from it.

[Sharkyispy]

Sunday was probably the worst I have seen with the number of balloons, strings, etc floating around. Besides the obvious threat to sea life , I had to dodge many that had sunk just into the surface and saw them at last possible moment where I could safely veer away and not wrap up in the engine. Time for something to be done about them.

[makosnax]

I was 30 miles out yesterday and was astonished by the amount of balloons.