Concerns about the amount of plastic in our seas has grown in recent months, but for a group of Ventnor fishermen it was the sight of golden balloons that sparked their interest this morning (Tuesday).
A number of foil balloons appearing to spell out the word ‘Festival’ have been fished out of the English Channel some 12 miles south east of St Catherine’s Point, demonstrating how litter can travel great distances in such a short space of time.
It is of course unclear why the balloons ended up in the water – although it is suspected revellers are responsible – but the discovery has proven to be an opportunity to remind Islanders about disposing of waste appropriately.
Ed Blake from Ventnor Haven Fishery has said:
“With the recent attention on plastics polluting our oceans we were especially appalled to find this litter leftover from this weekend’s Isle of Wight Festival.
“Balloons are not only a hazard to sea creatures, but are also shipping hazards… from a distance we first thought it was a upturned boat. They can also be mistaken for marker buoys”.
