Arosa wants to get rid of fireworks

Without bangs and spectacle: This year, the municipality of Arosa will not hold a traditional fireworks display on the national holiday.

The reason is bear Napa, who has been living in his new home at the Bärenland for about a week. According to a letter by Pascal Jenny, tourism director and president of the Arosa Bears Foundation, published in the «Südostschweiz», the decision is about the bear's wellbeing during his settling-in period.

It is also possible that fireworks may be foregone in future years as well, out of consideration for the bears.

Fireworks as a danger to wildlife

More and more people and animals are disturbed by noise emissions, fine particulate matter, and so on. Many celebration enthusiasts begin setting off fireworks hours before festivities such as New Year's Eve or national holidays. In addition to the deafening noise for animals, the smell of ignited fireworks can also trigger a flight instinct.

Sudden, impulsive noise frightens not only humans but also wildlife. As an indirect consequence, accidents can occur that are attributable to unpredictable startle reactions. Furthermore, pets are often reported missing for days after fireworks displays.

Many animals suffer during the fireworks because they have far more sensitive hearing than humans. The noise causes pain and often excessive stress and panic, which — especially in older animals — can lead to heart failure. Wildlife is also extremely disturbed by fireworks noise. For instance, the loud bangs remind wild animals of the many negative experiences they have had with hobby hunters.

In principle, any hearing vertebrate will startle at an unfamiliar bang and, depending on the distance from the noise source, may be exposed to a risk of hearing damage. Depending on the species and the type of noise, consequences such as heightened alertness and increased heart rate, evasive movements leading to miscarriages, panicked flight with occasional fatalities, and the displacement of entire populations have been documented.

First holiday region without traditional fireworks

Forgoing the official fireworks display does not mean, however, that firecrackers are prohibited on 1 August. Private individuals retain all rights. Nevertheless, by abstaining this year, Jenny wishes to spark a broader discussion: “Independently of Napa, we are asking ourselves whether fireworks are still necessary,” the municipality writes in a press release.

For this reason, Arosa is seeking an alternative format for the national holiday from 2019 onwards and is inviting guests and stakeholders to submit the municipality creative ideas — “in order to create a new tradition and, with Arosa, perhaps become the first firework-free region in Switzerland,” the statement continues.

Anyone wishing to make a contribution to animal, nature, and environmental protection and who sets the right priorities should forgo rockets and fireworks — the money saved in doing so can be put to better use, recommends IG Wild beim Wild.

More on animal rights and on environment and nature conservation.