News
Why do we always have to count on luck where sky lanterns land?
The wire in a sky lantern can maim and kill livestock. Image – Lucia Cavazzuti
Lucia Cavazzuti had an ugly start to her day on Saturday 5 January 2019.
She found a spent Chinese Lantern just 3 mt / 10 ft from hay bails, and 90 mt / 300 ft from her stables and fodder shed in Carpi, Italy. She said: “I was lucky, but why do we always have to count on luck?”
Cavazzuti highlighted on social media that the sky lantern had two thin metal wires that could have easily ended up in her cows fodder if she was not so vigilant:
“There is a strong probability that if the wire had ended up on the cattle food, it would have damaged their internal organs, caused bleeding and the animal would have to be slaughtered.”
Cavazzuti’s fears are justified. A farmer in Northampton, UK had two cattle die after suffer from internal bleeding after eating wire in silage, whilst a farmer in Cheshire, UK had a prize Red Poll cow (Underhills Sprite) suffocate after the wire frame from a Chinese lantern ruptured the beast’s oesophagus.
“Sadly many people are unaware of the potentially deadly consequences of the release of sky lanterns can have for wildlife and other animals. I think that most people who saw the kind of injuries or fatalities we have, would think twice. Cattle have died after bits of sky lantern have fallen into their feed.” David Bowles, RSPCA
Cavazzuti’s voice joins many others asking when sky lanterns will be banned.
Hear more from Roz at The Underwater Marketing Company Blog.
Over the next 12 months, specialist scuba holiday company Dive Worldwide will be supporting Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation with donations collected from client bookings to any one of its stunning dive destinations around the world. The independently-owned operator expects to raise £3000 for the UK charity.
Manager at Dive Worldwide, Phil North, said: “We’re especially excited to work with Bite-Back and support its intelligent, creative and results-driven campaigns to end the UK trade in shark products and prompt a change in attitudes to the ocean’s most maligned inhabitant.”
Bite-Back is running campaigns to hold the media to account on the way it reports shark news along with a brand new nationwide education programme. Last year the charity was credited for spearheading a UK ban on the import and export of shark fins.
Campaign director at Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’re enormously grateful to Dive Worldwide for choosing to support Bite-Back. The company’s commitment to conservation helps set it apart from other tour operators and we’re certain its clients admire and respect that policy. For us, the affiliation is huge and helps us look to the future with confidence we can deliver against key conservation programmes.”
To launch the fundraising initiative, Phil North presented Graham Buckingham with a cheque for £1,000.
Visit Dive Worldwide to discover its diverse range of international scuba adventures and visit Bite-Back to learn more about the charity’s campaigns.
MORE INFORMATION
Call Graham Buckingham on 07810 454 266 or email graham@bite-back.com
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
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Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
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SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
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