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28th May 2009
Johnstone Questions Minister On Gull Nuisance
North East MSP Alex Johnstone raised the
issue of Seagulls at Question Time in the Scottish
Parliament on Thursday.
Mr Johnstone, who has been campaigning to
have strong action taken to tackle the growing problem of
Seagulls moving into urban areas for some time asked " Will
the minister acknowledge that there is significant
inconsistency in how local authorities tackle the problem
and in how they perceive that they are allowed to tackle it?
Will she undertake to give the strongest possible advice to
ensure that action is taken in as appropriate a manner as
possible?"
He added "Rather than use antisocial
behaviour orders, will she seek to educate people who feed
gulls? Being mobbed by gulls is a terrifying experience,
particularly for small children. There is a problem in many
of our seaside towns."
Minister for the Environment, Roseanna
Cunningham MSP said "Gulls can be controlled, using lethal
force if necessary, in a way that is consistent with the
statutory framework that is provided by the Wildlife and
Countryside Act 1981. The Scottish Government has provided
advice to local authorities on a range of techniques for
displacing urban gulls and is currently supporting a pilot
project in Dumfries to assess the effectiveness of using a
falcon to deter gulls from nesting in the town centre and
causing a nuisance to residents. If the pilot proves
successful, other local authorities might want to consider
adopting the approach as an additional control option."
"The general position is that the
responsibility for dealing with urban gulls already lies
with local authorities, rather than directly with the
Scottish Government. The success of the trial will be
monitored and, depending on the results, we will consider
the advice that is given to local authorities."
She continued "There is a range of options
that local authorities can and should consider, including
taking measures through the Antisocial Behaviour etc
(Scotland) Act 2004 to prevent individuals from feeding
gulls, and ensuring that litter is kept off the streets,
because litter encourages gulls. If the pilot is successful
we will consider how best to roll out advice and information
to local authorities, which can act accordingly. Other
measures can be taken in the meantime."
Speaking after Question Time, Mr Johnstone
said "I believe we need to utilise every option open to us
in combating the number of Seagulls that are moving inland,
especially in seaside towns such as Stonehaven. Ideally, I
would like to see more work being done to educate people not
to feed gulls, and indeed, not to drop litter such as carry
out meals, which encourages gulls to come into the urban
environment. I welcome the Ministers earlier statement
about the pilot project in Dumfries which is using a falcon
to deter gulls from nesting in the town centre, and I will
be monitoring the situation closely to see if it can be
utilised here in the north east."
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