Cornwall group wants ban on flying rings blamed for seal deaths

The BBC reports on a campaign by the Seal Research Trust and Seal Alliance to ban flying rings—cheap plastic beach toys sold for £1-£2—which are causing seal injuries and deaths in UK waters. The article includes named sources (Sue Sayer, founder of the Seal Research Trust) with specific examples of harm (the seal 'Wings' rescued in St Ives in 2023) and documented costs (up to £15,000 for treatment per the RSPCA), indicating solid sourcing and substantive reporting. Cornwall Council passed a motion in 2025 to discourage sales, representing a concrete policy development, though the independent search did not return corroborating coverage from other outlets on this specific campaign—only tangentially related environmental issues in Cornwall. Readers should monitor Westminster action on the proposed UK-wide ban and whether other coastal councils adopt similar measures.