Neath Port Talbot backs voluntary ban on flying ring toys to protect seals and marine life

At a full council meeting on 17 September, members approved a notice of motion calling for the sale, purchase and use of flying rings to be discouraged on council‑owned beaches. The motion also endorsed a national campaign for a UK‑wide ban and instructed Council Leader Cllr Steve Hunt to write to both the Welsh and UK Governments in support of legislation.

The lightweight plastic toys, often mistaken for frisbees, have been linked to serious injuries and deaths among seals. When lost or discarded at sea, the rings can become lodged around the animals’ necks, cutting into their skin as they grow. Rehabilitation, when possible, can cost up to £15,000 per animal.

Cllr Robert Wood, who proposed the motion, said:

“This voluntary ban reflects our commitment to environmental stewardship and the wellbeing of our coastal ecosystems. We hope residents and visitors will support this initiative and help us make our beaches safer for wildlife.”

Cllr Cen Phillips, Cabinet Member for Nature, Tourism and Wellbeing, who seconded the motion, added:

“Flying ring toys are often treated as disposable, and when they end up in the sea, they pose a real threat to seals and other marine life. We’re asking beachgoers to choose safer alternatives and help us protect these incredible animals.”

Growing campaign across South Wales

The decision follows similar action taken earlier this year by Swansea Council, which urged beach‑goers to back a voluntary ban after passing its own motion. Conservationists from the Gower Seal Group have been working with schools and businesses to highlight the dangers, warning that seals’ natural curiosity can quickly turn deadly when they encounter flying rings.

The issue has sparked widespread public concern, with more than 43,000 people signing a national petition and the UK Seal Alliance leading calls for a ban.

Neath Port Talbot Council said it will promote the initiative through its media channels to raise awareness among residents and visitors. While the ban is voluntary and carries no penalties, councillors hope it will encourage retailers to withdraw the toys and beach users to avoid them altogether.

Neath Port Talbot now joins Swansea and the Vale of Glamorgan among councils in Wales taking action to protect seals and coastal wildlife.

For more information or to support the campaign, residents can contact the council’s Countryside & Wildlife Team at biodiversity@npt.gov.uk.

#CllrCenPhillips #CllrRobertWood #CllrSteveHunt #Environment #flyingRing #GowerSealGroup #NeathPortTalbot #NeathPortTalbotCouncil #ringFrisbee #Seal #UKSealAlliance

Beach-goers urged to back ban on ‘flying ring’ frisbees

The cute and inquisitive creatures have made their home on rocky outcrops around Gower, but their lives are put at risk by the discarded doughnut-shaped flying rings which can snare them round their necks.

Swansea Council says it has already been working with Gower Seal Group, local schools and businesses on Gower to promote the ban after passing a notice of motion that aims to see an end to the use of the rings anywhere near wildlife along the area’s coastline.

Gower businesses Pitton Cross Caravan and Camping, Kennexstone Camping and Touring Park, and Surfside Café, Langland, Northway Garage, Bishopston have already voluntarily stopped selling them.

Gower Seal Group continue to visit schools in the area to talk to youngsters about seals and other marine life, spotlighting how they can support the effort.

Gareth Richards, Founder of Gower Seal Group and Vice Chair of the UK Seal Alliance Executive, said: “Nobody buys a flying ring with the intention of causing pain and suffering to seals. But that’s what can happen if a flying ring is lost or discarded at a beach or near a waterway.

“A seal’s natural curiosity and playfulness when finding a flying ring in the water soon becomes a nightmare when, very quickly, they find themselves trapped by one around their neck.”

He said the creatures can’t free themselves of this entanglement and as they grow the ring tightens restricts their movement and will often cause pain, suffering and ultimately death.

And now the seal group is planning a national campaign to ‘Save Our Seals From Flying Rings’, launching on May 26, which includes a petition calling on the Government to ban the import of flying rings and to councils across the UK to ban them.

Mr Richards said: “That’s why we are extremely grateful to councillors in Swansea for continuing to support this campaign and showing leadership to protect our visiting seals from suffering by not supporting the sale or use of flying rings in our area.”

Andrew Stevens, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure, said: “We fully support what Gower Seal Group is doing to protect our seals. We are so lucky to have seals near many of our beaches in Swansea and Gower.

“The vast majority of the many thousands of people who visit Gower every year treat the area, its wildlife and its coastline with respect. Along with the Gower Seal Group we are urging visitors to play their part to protect our seal population as well.”

Rocky coastal spots such as Limeslade and Bracelet Bay, as well as Port Eynon and Langland Bay have all been known to provide resting spots for groups of seals as well as thousands of visiting public every year.

Seals spend around 80% of their time at sea and come ashore along Gower to rest, sleep and digest their food.

The short time they are on land is vital to their health but also makes them vulnerable to the impact of humans on their lives.

#beaches #BraceletBay #Environment #frisbee #Gower #GowerSealGroup #LanglandBay #Limeslade #PortEynon #Seals #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil