Stop fireworks in Plettenberg Bay and surrounds
Why discharge of fireworks displays and the sale thereof needs to be banned.
I have been very active in dealing with preventing and banning the discharge of fireworks for 10 years. The success of which has spread across 6 towns, the last being Plettenberg Bay, where for the past 2 years, there have been no fireworks discharged on the beaches.
This is a serious issue and one that is very dear to my heart, because of the way animals, and especially household pets suffer as a result of discharging fireworks. So please give me 5 minutes of your time, while reading what I have to say. The struggle with fireworks is real and it is a desperate one.
Discharging fireworks as a form of celebration is an unkind and an extremely cruel inhumane practice.
The law stipulates that no person or entity is permitted to terrorise animals in any way, but despite the fact that “All Animals including Household Pets” are protected by this Law, we still have members of our community insisting that celebration will not be a celebration without discharging fireworks, not sparing a thought for the suffering it causes around them, to animals and people alike.
Modern fireworks are usually made out of charcoal, sulphur fuel (the two ingredients that actually blow up) and potassium nitrate or perchlorates (chemicals that speed up the explosion). Perchlorates are problematic because high doses have been shown to negatively affect human beings as well as animals.
Fireworks fans might point out that these substances theoretically incinerate in the sky, before making it back to the ground. However, studies have shown that it does end up in the environment.
Fireworks are considered harmless, OR SO THEY SAY, my question is ….. is it really harmless, when we look around us and see the destruction it causes?
Household pets are being targeted and in some instances, fireworks are tied to their faces, tails, legs and any other parts of their bodies and then set alight, and watched with absolute delight how the animal disintegrates into a charging machine filled with fear, pain, trauma and severe injury and in most cases, DEATH!!
Fireworks cause significant property loss and damage, especially when by accident it shoots through a window of a property causing significant damage, and in some cases, loss of property through fire.
Fireworks discharged in nature is a “SEVERE FIRE RISK”.
Fireworks place the lives of not only human beings, but all animals at severe risk. It is no surprise to hear about injury caused by fireworks to hundreds of people, not to mention the thousands of animals on a yearly basis caused by the discharging of fireworks.
Fireworks discharged on or near beaches pose a significant environmental hazardous impact both to nesting coastal birds and Ocean life as well as the obvious pollution to the already polluted oceans.
During an interview on Radio 702 during December 2019, I was asked by the presenter whether we shouldn’t rather teach the youngsters together with the rest of the community how to correctly discharge fireworks.
We have been engaging in this foreign practice for more than 60 years and we have yet to teach ourselves that it is wrong; why on earth would we now want to teach ourselves to continue this barbaric practice? Why on earth do we need to teach the community and especially youngsters of today how to continue to inflict suffering, trauma and pain.
There is NO CORRECT way to discharge fireworks.
What we need to teach our youth, youngsters and community members, in all communities and spheres of life, is to STOP the violence, suffering and pain that we so willingly inflict on all domestic pets, animals and human beings.
We enjoy the fireworks displays being discharged all over the world, to such an extent that Countries and Towns are in competition with each other to best each other.
However … have you ever spared a thought for the suffering around you? has it ever crossed your mind that you might be depriving a baby or young child and their parents an entire night of peace and sleep? Do you understand the trauma of an autistic child when they suffer through the explosions? Have you ever spared a thought while the entire neighbourhood dogs cry and cower? have you ever spared a thought for the community members driving around the neighbourhood rescuing pets jumping over fences and in some cases through closed windows?
I wonder if it ever crossed your mind what you are subjecting your community to. This list can go on and on with stories on the destruction, pain, suffering, injury, and trauma the discharge of ANY fireworks cause, but I’m sure you know this already, but some still choose to turn a blind eye.
Then we hear of “NOISE FREE or LOW NOISE” fireworks. Why can’t we just have a real good party, with music and no suffering? Here’s the thing, DON’T BE FOOLED. The phrase “Silent/Low Noise” is very misleading, without the explosive booms, fireworks will not go off. No matter how advanced the pyrotechnicians may be, they haven’t quite figured out a way to remove the noise from the firework explosions.
NO fireworks display is worth the FEAR, PAIN & SUFFERING the pets and other animals have to endure during NYE, Guy Fawkes, Halloween or any other celebrations.
Pets and other animals do not have a voice, but as a community WE DO, and your voice should be ‘TO END THE SALE AND DISCHARGE OF ALL FIREWORKS AND FIREWORKS DISPLAYS‼’
The Grand Group provided a solution for 2019, which was a “Grand” gesture on their part and a big step in the right direction. As a gesture of goodwill and thank you to the community for their support, they funded a “Laser Display” at their great cost and I personally applaud and thank The Grand for their amazing and caring effort to stop all this violence and suffering. Let’s hope that there will be many more laser displays to come.
SO….. before YOU as a community member, or private entity choose to discharge any fireworks as a form of celebration ever again; I sincerely hope that you will find it in your heart to spare a thought for the suffering of animals.
Your joy, their pain – your fun, their sorrow – your delight, their life.
As South Africans from all spheres of life, we need to teach our nation to have more compassion for the suffering of pets and other animals, stopping the atrocity of discharging fireworks and a complete ban on the sale thereof, would be a good place to start.
Unfortunately, certain holidaymakers complicate this matter even further by bringing their fireworks with them, to be discharged as part of their celebrations.
The only way to curb this and bring an end to the suffering, we need ALL community members on board and committed. I challenge all households, businesses, estate and accommodation agents, restauranteurs, etc. to notify the holidaymakers that they are welcome to enjoy our beautiful town, but they may not discharge any fireworks.
The time for change is now! As a community, we can make a difference!
Should you wish to join the movement join us here:
Sign our Avaaz petition
Join our Facebook Group
or Email
SUZARNE ALLY VAN JAARSVELD
For and on behalf of – “We Support a Fireworks Free South Africa”
Note from ShowMe Plett Editor: I myself have noticed that while the fireworks are discharging all our birdlife wakes up and you can see thousands of them flying above you. The problem here is they have sensitive hearing and can’t fly in the dark. So once the display ends all our birds are displaced and in a frenzy.