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Post by stockslave on Jul 31, 2010 16:52:30 GMT
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Post by jc on Jul 31, 2010 20:03:38 GMT
We should all be lobbying the NFU to get these things banned. I am convinced that the three cattle we lost this spring with wire inside them have picked it up from the lanterns. We have never had a beast with wire before and now we have had three in the space of a few weeks.
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Post by stockslave on Jul 31, 2010 20:25:31 GMT
I'm sorry about your losses JC, I've found the confounded things in my fields fortunately complete. The NFU are calling for an outright ban:
NFU Council calls for outright ban on Chinese lanterns 29 Jun 2010 NFU Council, the organisation’s governing body, has resolved to call for an outright ban on flying Chinese lanterns due to ongoing concerns about the risks posed to animal welfare, food safety and the environment.
The NFU had previously called for a voluntary ban on lanterns that use wire in their construction but having reviewed the evidence of their impacts and remedial moves by manufacturers to date, Council members agreed the NFU should lobby the Government for a complete ban such as those imposed in Germany and Australia.
NFU acting director of communications Terry Jones said: “We have given manufacturers, as well as suppliers, time to take on board our concerns over the sale of these lanterns and move to a safer and more environmentally friendly solution.
“While we have seen some movement by manufacturers and suppliers to biodegradable eco-lanterns, Council members felt that the moves were too little, too late. The overwhelming majority of Council members felt that the UK should follow the example set by other countries and ban them outright, thereby ending any possible future harm to livestock, wildlife and the environment.”
The NFU has received numerous reports of harm to livestock, and in some instances death, caused by cattle ingesting the metal wires contained within the lantern frames. The lanterns can also be also be chopped up during silage and hay making leading to ingestion at a later date, while the wire can also get tangled around the animal’s feet or become embedded in its skin. Members of Council were also concerned that with harvest approaching, combines could pick up lanterns in standing crops and during dry weather spells, like the one the country is currently experiencing, they also pose serious fire risks. The NFU will also enter into discussions with the Environment Agency about the lanterns’ status as trade waste in an effort to reduce the release of lanterns by hotels and wedding venues.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2010 21:35:28 GMT
What a shame JC - heartbreaking
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