By Donald Wittkowski
Scattered throughout Sea Isle City are small roadway signs that urge motorists to “Watch for turtles.”
They are a reminder of the female diamondback terrapins that emerge from their coastal marshlands habitat each summer and crawl across local roads in search of a patch of sandy soil for a nesting spot to lay their eggs.
Those signs are designed to prevent the diamondbacks from being run over by cars. Now, Sea Isle will consider a new measure to protect turtles and other sea life from another manmade threat – balloons.
Acknowledging the potential harm that plastic litter can cause to marine life and the environment, Sea Isle will consider joining other neighboring shore towns that have banned the release of helium-filled balloons.
City Council, at its meeting Tuesday, directed its attorney to draft an ordinance that would prohibit mass balloon launches. The proposed measure is expected to be considered by Council for a vote at an upcoming meeting.
Councilman J.B. Feeley, who proposed the ordinance, said it should have “some teeth” in it to show that Sea Isle is serious about protecting the environment. Feeley mentioned the possibility of including fines in the ordinance, but also noted that he did not want the public to view it as a harsh crackdown against balloon launches.
“I think it’s more of an educational thing than a punitive thing,” he told Council.
In an interview after the meeting, Feeley said he wants to prohibit the mass release of balloons, such as what is now commonplace at weddings, parties and other celebrations.
He said the ordinance may also include a ban on releasing the so-called sky lanterns, also known as Chinese lanterns. The lanterns are illuminated by candles and are considered a fire hazard when they drop to earth.
Feeley, though, stressed he has no desire to clamp down on the incidental release of a small number of balloons, particularly if children are involved.
Once they fall into the ocean or bays, the deflated plastic balloons are often mistaken as food. Turtles and other sea creatures think the shiny balloons are jellyfish and try to eat them, which can block their digestive systems and cause them to starve to death.
“We all see the turtles and fish that swallow these things,” Council President Mary Tighe said.
Tighe and Councilman Frank Edwardi joined with Feeley in signaling their support for an ordinance to ban mass balloon releases. Edwardi called it a “good idea.” No Council members raised objections.
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has warned the public about the harm balloons can do to the environment. On its website, the agency tells the public: “Please don’t release your balloons.”
“Balloons are great at birthdays, weddings, graduations and more, but once they get loose, balloons can pose a threat to many animals,” the Fish & Wildlife Service says.
Birds can become entangled in the ribbons or strings attached to balloons, similar to the way they are snarled in discarded fishing line. Deflated balloons can also end up as litter, clogging bird nets or covering the birds themselves, including the chicks, according to the Surfrider Foundation, an environmental group that has been lobbying shore towns to ban balloon launches.
Feeley said Sea Isle should join other neighboring towns that have adopted ordinances prohibiting the mass release of balloons.
In Cape May County, Avalon and Cape May ban balloon launches, while Stone Harbor is in the midst of adopting a similar ordinance, Feeley said. In Atlantic County, towns banning the mass release of balloons include Atlantic City, Longport, Margate, Ventnor and Somers Point.
Ocean City discussed the possibility of banning balloon launches this year, but instead settled on a public awareness campaign headed by the town’s Environmental Commission to warn of the dangers to turtles and other sea life.
The Environmental Commission has printed a one-page fact sheet headlined with the words, “Balloons can kill wildlife!” It includes photos of animals that died after they ate balloons or became entangled in the string.
In the meantime, Ocean City has taken other steps to protect the environment by discouraging the use of balloons during one of its major tourist attractions, the annual Night in Venice boat parade.
Night in Venice contestants are instructed in an application form not to use balloons to decorate their homes or boats, according to city spokesman Doug Bergen.
