The Farmers’ Union of Wales today expressed its disappointment that a government study on the effects of sky lanterns and helium balloons on the environment failed to support calls for them to be banned. 

Jointly commissioned by Defra and the Welsh Government, the study was carried out by ADAS into the risks of sky lanterns and helium balloons to livestock health and welfare; the environment (including litter); fire risk; damage to marine life and consumer safety.

"After consulting our members, the union called for an outright ban on the manufacture and sale of sky lanterns and for their release to be made illegal in the UK," said FUW land use policy officer Andrew Gurney.

"We received numerous reports from members of sky lanterns being found in fields which were being grazed, were about to be grazed, or cut for silage or hay.

"Other more serious reports received included a lantern found smouldering in a barn containing hay and straw and a cow injured following a stampede started by lanterns floating over fields containing livestock.

"ADAS concedes the evidence they received suggests widespread concern from farmers and others over the impact of sky lanterns on the health and welfare of livestock and horses.

"We were therefore very surprised and disappointed that they also said the evidence indicated the number of cases reported annually of animals affected through panic and fright and of ingestion of sky lantern debris was 'very small'.

"The study accepted there may be a significant level of under-reporting but, based on the evidence ADAS say they received, they found it difficult to conclude that the overall impact is anything other than 'of minor significance'.

"The report further states there may be a significant level of under-reporting of the evidence regarding the ingestion by animals of helium balloons but it indicated the impact is 'very small and confined to isolated incidents'.

"The study’s findings are disappointing because, in our evidence to ADAS, we stressed the union was wholly opposed to the release of sky lanterns due to the dangers they pose to the agricultural sector.

"The materials used in their construction pose a danger to livestock, particularly if the wire or bamboo from the frame of the lantern is chopped up during the silage making process and contaminates feedstocks.

"Sky lanterns also pose a considerable fire risk, during the dry summer months, to open heath land as well as to standing crops in fields or once harvesting has taken place and the crop is stored in fields or barns.

"On the issue of helium balloons, the impact usually relates to livestock becoming startled or frightened by balloons floating over fields and causing them to stampede or trample fencing resulting in injury and the associated welfare issues and financial costs.

"Despite the study’s findings, the union reiterates its call for an outright ban on the manufacture and sale of sky lanterns and for their release to be made illegal in the UK. We will continue to make the appropriate representations to bring this about."

The Farmers’ Union of Wales today branded the Welsh Government’s failure to heed its warnings to make a fallen stock burial derogation more workable - or face a collection crisis - as “gold plating at a time of emergency”.

Since an extended burial derogation was issued on April 2 in response to the severe weather, the FUW has consistently warned Government that the excessive red tape accompanying the derogation would lead to more misery and a significant and escalating disease risk due to fallen stock collectors being unable to cope with demand.

“In particular, we told the Welsh Government on April 2 that it was totally wrong to require farmers to obtain evidence from fallen collectors that they would not be able to collect, and that this would completely undermine the utility of a desperately needed derogation,” said FUW president Emyr Jones, of Rhosygwaliau, near Bala.

“It is totally unfair on farmers, but also unfair on the collectors. After all, farmers were effectively required to ask for confirmation from the collectors that they were unable to provide you with a service and did not want your business.”

Mr Jones was reacting to an Environment and Sustainability Committee hearing earlier today when committee members questioned natural resources and food minister Alun Davies about his department’s handling of the recent crisis. During the hearing, the Government claimed such bureaucracy and evidence was “necessary”.

“While we accept that collecting evidence was necessary to ensure compliance with the terms of the derogation , it is unbelievably naïve to require farmers to get a key part of that evidence from fallen stock collectors, particularly at a time when the evidence was all around and in places 15 or 20 feet deep!” said Mr Jones.

“Farmers with their backs against the wall and already suffering have had their misery added to by having to watch rotting carcasses for weeks and when they have contacted their local authorities asking if they can bury, they have been told ‘no’  and threatened with prosecution because the Welsh Government guidance is so restrictive.

“It is an absolutely disgraceful and immoral situation and, while the EU Regulation lies at the root of the problem, the gold plating of the Regulation in the guidance issued to local authorities has played a significant part in adding to peoples’ emotional and financial woes.”

Mr Jones also expressed major concerns regarding the Welsh Government’s claim, during hearing, that much of the evidence it had heard was anecdotal rather than hard.

“The vast majority of the general public are in no doubt that farms within a broad band across Mid and North Wales have faced a major emergency over the past six weeks and we have been providing regular updates to the Welsh Government on the problems facing large numbers of farms and lobbying for changes which recognise these problems,” he said.

“While the Welsh Government is based in Cardiff, it also has offices across North Wales and must surely have been aware that the problems facing farmers and their animals were real and that urgent action needed to be taken.”

Mr Jones said he had already raised concerns at an EU level but questions needed to be answered in terms of the way in which the crisis had been handled at Welsh and local government levels.

[caption id="attachment_2379" align="aligncenter" width="200"] FUW president Emyr Jones[/caption]

The decision that all dogs in Wales will be microchipped by March 2015, following a public consultation last year by the Welsh Government, was given a lukewarm welcome by the Farmers’ Union of Wales today.

In a previous consultation response the FUW stressed that most responsible owners will voluntarily microchip their dogs as a matter of course as the benefits microchipping provides in terms of traceability and identification are primarily to their advantage.

“Under the Control of Dogs Order 1992, dogs are already required to be identifiable in public by wearing a collar and tag with the owner’s name and address. Irresponsible dog owners are as likely not to use a microchip as they would a collar, therefore the wider benefits of responsible dog ownership promoted by the Welsh Government may not materialise,” said FUW deputy director of policy Rhian Nowell-Phillips.

“The agricultural industry has suffered increasing problems associated with sheep worrying on farmland so we are extremely interested in any measures which would help mitigate these problems,” added Ms Nowell-Phillips.

“Unfortunately, the union does not believe that compulsory microchipping will have any real impact on irresponsible dog owners who are unlikely to comply and so the decision whether or not to microchip should remain voluntary.

“Less responsible dog owners will inevitably find their way around any legislation and it is for this reason the FUW believes that the promotion of good practice and highlighting the benefits of microchipping should be a priority over legislation.”

Of the estimated 450,000 dogs in Wales, it is estimated that some 58 per cent are already microchipped. This means that there are approximately 190,000 dogs that would need to be microchipped prior to March 2015.

Welsh-speaking university students from rural areas of Wales must be given every opportunity to return to jobs and homes in their own communities to help preserve the language, the Farmers' Union of Wales bilingual and publicity committee was told recently.

Guest speaker, Ceredigion County Council leader Ellen ap Gwynn, stressed that every effort must be made to motivate young people to speak Welsh and give them plenty of opportunity to use the language in their workplace.

"But older members of staff working for any organisation should also be motivated and encouraged to either learn the language or further improve their Welsh language skills," she said.

Cllr ap Gwynn highlighted the importance of organisations that operate in Welsh, and serve the community through the medium of Welsh, in ensuring that young Welsh speakers were employed in their local areas.

"In Ceredigion the activities of young farmers' clubs and the Urdd are so much fun for young Welsh speakers who go to university and then return home because they still feel part of the community and still belong to the social network.

"We must acknowledge the fact that there are changing language patterns out there but, even though the number of three to 15-year-old children has fallen within the county of Ceredigion by 1,000, the percentage of those speaking Welsh has increased from 78 per cent to 82 per cent."

Following Cllr ap Gwynn’s presentation a lively discussion followed on how farmers could integrate more Welsh into their own businesses, what services were available to help them achieve this and the policies schools should adopt to keep the language thriving.

During the meeting delegates re-elected the committee chairman, Carmarthenshire county councillor Mansel Charles, and vice chairman, Betws y Coed farmer Eryl Hughes.