Firework noise limit should be drastically cut to protect wild animals, UK government told

Campaigners are calling on the government to protect the welfare of wild animals by cutting the maximum noise level of fireworks sold to the public from 120 to 90 decibels.

The Center for Wild Animal Welfare (CWAW) has said lowering the limit to 90 decibels – which is about one-eighth of the loudness of 120 decibels – would help to protect millions of wild animals from acute stress by reducing the area over which a firework disturbs surrounding wildlife.

This would help prevent incidents of harm, such as mass temporary displacement and fatal collisions among birds, that can occur during fireworks displays, it says.

It comes after the UK government recently consulted on proposals to lower the maximum noise level of fireworks sold to the public from 120 decibels to 110 decibels, which equate to their loudness being approximately halved.

But CWAW said the proposed limit did not go far enough and cutting it to 90 decibels would leave the area disturbed by each firework about a hundred times smaller than under the government’s plan.

Richard Parr, CWAW’s director, said: “Sound travels, and a loud firework can penetrate surprisingly far – up to 10km. Because decibels work on a [logarithmic] scale, each 10-decibel cut to the limit reduces the area affected by the noise by 10 times.”

Parr said that while many people were aware of the distress caused by fireworks to pets, there was not enough awareness of how such loud noises affected wild animals. “There’s no reason to think that wild animals would be any less affected than pets,” he said. “It might even be worse because it’s completely unnatural. It’s surprising, stressing, and disturbing for their natural rhythms of life to be suddenly and very unexpectedly disrupted.

“Particularly for prey animals, who have evolved to be cautious and are naturally jumpy, these random, unannounced bangs are terrifying.”

Rebecca Machin, a wildlife expert at the RSPCA, said she shared CWAW’s concerns about the impact of fireworks on wildlife. “Fireworks and their debris can disturb a range of wild animals, particularly birds, causing suffering and distress,” she said. “Depending on the distance from the explosive and the noise level, impacts include disrupted migration, elevated stress hormones, and hazards from leftover firework debris.”

Research into the impact of fireworks on wild animals has found that birds experience particular harm during fireworks displays, including stress responses, mass temporary displacement and fatal collisions. On New Year’s Day in 2025, more than 1,000 birds were found dead near a hiking trail in Bulgaria, just over a kilometre from a site where fireworks had been set off, after panicked birds flew into trees and each other.

The government consultation came after concerns about the noise and availability of fireworks were aired in a parliamentary debate in January, with two petitions gaining more than 180,000 signatures each. Alongside the noise limit, the consultation looked at expanding the list of fireworks banned for general sale and reviewing the rules on lower-risk products, including scrapping the age limit on Christmas crackers.

New Zealand introduced a 90-decibel limit on consumer fireworks in 2008. It also reduced the number of days they can be sold and raised the minimum purchase age from 14 to 18, in line with the UK and most other countries. However, the UK government consultation noted there had been concerns that the noise testing system could be gamed because a 90-decibel limit was difficult to define precisely in legislation.

In response to the calls for a 90-decibel limit, a spokesperson for the British Fireworks Association said: “We are aware of reports that sudden, unexpected noise from fireworks and other sources can disturb birds and other wildlife, and we take those concerns seriously. People should consider where and when they set off fireworks and take steps to minimise disturbance.

“However, we do not believe the case has been made for reducing the noise limit to 90 decibels. Any change should be based on clear evidence of its likely benefits and take account of unintended consequences, including the risk of people turning to illegal fireworks. We favour better enforcement of existing laws, alongside a national campaign to encourage safe and considerate use of fireworks.”