Madam, - I was disturbed by the picture on your front page of October 11th showing Gareth O'Callaghan launching more than 500 balloons for World Mental Health Day.
As the saying goes, "What goes up must come down", and unfortunately some of these balloons will become a serious form of marine pollution. A long list of marine creatures - turtles, dolphins, whales, fish and seabirds - mistake them for their natural prey (jellyfish and squid) and eat them, with sometimes deadly consequences.
So, I appeal to all event organisers to consider other ways of promoting their worthy causes which will not have such an effect on our marine environment. - Is mise,
PAT Ó SÚILLEABHÁIN, National Sea Life Centre, Bray, Co Wicklow.