POLL: Should fireworks be limited to licensed displays?

Tuesday 06 November 2018

Should all islanders be able to hold their own commemoration of Guy Fawkes with fireworks in their own garden, or should such displays be limited to licensed professionals?

Local dog, cat and horse owners have been calling for more restrictions around the sale of fireworks, as they can cause distress to animals, and this weekend Jersey's Fire Service reported being stretched to the limit by multiple call-outs, including a major furze fire at Grève de Lecq, caused by the bonfire night celebrations.

 Many rushed to social media over the weekend to report how distressed their pet was due to the loud bangs "going off everywhere." On the Jersey Dog Forum, dog owners exchanged tips on how to help calm the pups down as well as warnings of upcoming displays. The JSPCA also shared the upcoming dates, suggesting pet owners used "Thunder shirts, Adaptil and Feliway, and Pet Remedy products" to help calm and relax furry companions.

Tamba Park, the Parish of St. Martin, Le Moulin de Lecq, Variety and The Farmers Inn in St. Ouen all had their own display planned over the last few days, while St. George's Preparatory School will be having theirs on Friday. But in addition to those, islanders reported hearing fireworks going off close to their home, as early as last Wednesday on Halloween. This seemed to irritate some who said fireworks should only go off on 5 November, not before, or after.

But for others, fireworks should only be limited to licensed displays, and not be freely available to the general public. Islander Andy Jones submitted a petition to the States asking for "a restriction on sales so that fireworks are only available to licensed persons running licensed displays." While the petition is still pending approval, Mr Jones explained: "It’s the only way of getting fireworks literally off the streets. It’s not about stopping displays but giving people notice and having an element of control for the benefit of people and animals."

Pictured: Some islanders are calling for fireworks to be limited to licensed displays, like at Tamba Park.

Shared on the Jersey Dog Forum group, the petition received the support of fellow dog owners. One woman wrote: "I own horses and dogs some of which are ok, some of which aren’t. The problem with home displays is no one knows when they are especially if people do not have the courtesy of letting you know. I am sure most if not all pet owners would be ok if home displays were only allowed on bonfire night and not any random day of the week which is, in my opinion, where the main problem lies.

"At least with public displays we all know when they are happening. We can’t protect our animals if we don’t know about it. But there are so many who think because their animals are ok everyone else’s are." 

Another wrote: "Fully support banning unlicensed displays. I don’t see why people need to have them at home, total waste of money and cause disturbances and upset to so many, not to mention the safety risks. Leave fireworks to the pyrotechnic engineers who are trained to deal with them, or better still bring in the silent pyrotechnics like they have in one location in Italy, that way everyone can enjoy them."

One islander added: "If fireworks had just been invented they'd be banned, or seriously restricted.  There was a big craze for sky lanterns recently until a couple of incidents and Air Traffic stepped in to stop them.  It's time for society to mature and exercise responsibility not just for our dogs that experience fear and distress but also all the other animals, both domestic and wild that are adversely affected."

Pictured: Some islanders say they enjoy having their own firework display at home.

However some said that the restrictions would not be "entirely fair as arranged displays aren’t always suitable for people’s children." "I think a better idea would be to have fireworks displays restricted to one night rather than numerous nights one after the other. I have dogs cats and horses so do understand your concerns," one woman commented.

Another one said she strongly disagreed with the idea: "I enjoy having family time and having our own fireworks display. I do not enjoy going to licensed displays. Also the bangs are much louder at licenced displays. To be honest our dog is fine with it but if he wasn't he would be kept indoors after dark, it's only for a week or so per year. Home fireworks are not as loud as they used to be. We are living in a nanny state."

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