THE British territory of Gibraltar has completely BANNED the release of balloons into the air, in order to save 100s of sea animals that choke to death each year due to discarded plastic.
The move is a follow up to regulations introduced in 2016, when a popular part of Gibraltar's National Day celebrations was cancelled.
Up until 2016, on September 10 each year 30,000 red and white helium-filled balloons were released into the air in a massive celebration - one balloon for every resident of Gibraltar.
Though it was a much-loved symbol of patriotism for many people, officials decided that releasing so much plastic into the air had too great of an effect on the environment and the area's marine life.
The decision to ban balloons received "international acclaim" and was widely supported by the many organisations in Gibraltar that had been campaigning against the annual balloon celebrations for years.
Now, the government has taken its regulations one step further and made it an offence to "deliberately release gas-filled balloons into the air" in the territory at any time of the year.
In a statement on Thursday, the Government of Gibraltar said: “This is a measure that ratifies the voluntary decision taken some years ago not to release balloons on National Day, a move that gained great international acclaim.
“In this way Government wants to reiterate its commitment to clean seas, free of plastics and other non-biodegradable materials which cause so much harm to wildlife.”
Plastic balloons can take years to decompose and are often mistaken for food by wildlife like turtles.
Once the balloons have been eaten they can block digestive systems and cause animals to starve.
Their strings can also choke, entangle and trap animals, leaving thousands in danger every year.