The Wadden Island of Terschelling will be the first to ban releasing balloons.
By Hans de Preter / Translation by Traci White
According to the Leeuwarder Courant, the municipality of Terschelling is concerned about the deflated rubber balloons and plastic strings ending up in the sea, posing a threat to sea life.
A motion was accepted in the municipal council to ban releasing balloons at parties and other events. “There are alternative ways to express the emotions and feelings associated with releasing balloons”, said council member Jan Willem Adams.
Balloons regularly wash ashore on both the North Sea side and the Wadden Sea sides of the island, but they also often end up in fields and irrigation ditches.