TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Sea turtles, seabirds and children under the age of seven will be protected under a new Florida law that bans the intentional release of balloons.
The law, signed by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday, replaces an existing ban on releasing 10 or more balloons within 24 hours. The Legislature passed the bill in March with bipartisan support and the law has been praised by environmentalists.
“Balloons are among the deadliest plastics in the ocean for important wildlife and are the deadliest form of plastic waste for seabirds. Florida’s new law will help save marine animals from these preventable deaths,” said Hunter Miller, a Florida representative of the Washington-based environmental group Oceana.
The law exempts children under the age of seven. Anyone can be fined for littering for deliberately releasing a single balloon. The new law also removes an exemption for biodegradable balloons. DeSantis signed the bill privately and made no statement about it.
The bill analysis prepared for lawmakers notes that balloon releases are common at weddings, funerals, sporting events, graduations and various celebrations.
Following efforts to limit plastic bags and straws, the push from environmentalists against balloon releases has gained momentum. The Florida Legislature previously banned local governments from banning plastic bags. In 2019, DeSantis vetoed a bill that would temporarily ban local governments from banning plastic straws.
Florida is a large peninsula with no point more than 60 miles from the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico. Balloons can float for days – and winds and currents can carry them far from their original release point.
Once they deflate and fall, sea turtles mistake them for one of their favorite foods: jellyfish. Birds, manatees, whales and other marine life also eat balloons, which can block their digestive systems, leading to starvation.
“Balloon debris in water bodies affects more than 260 species worldwide and has been identified as one of the five deadliest types of marine debris in terms of the risk it poses to marine wildlife,” the legislative analysis said, adding that animals can also become entangled hitting in balloon strings.
