Latest news with #seagulls
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
‘Lives at risk' due to aggressive seagull population
Scottish ministers are facing calls for a national summit to address the increasingly aggressive seagull population as attacks are recorded across the country. Former Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross and fellow Tory Rachael Hamilton warned that gulls pose a serious health and safety risk, with people's lives now at risk. Critics accused the Scottish Government of inaction and NatureScot's licensing system of being bureaucratic and having a conflict of interest. Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie acknowledged the issue's seriousness but stated he could not intervene in the licensing system due to potential judicial review, attributing the problem to people feeding gulls. NatureScot emphasised its role in balancing public safety with conservation, noting a decrease in lethal control licenses and advocating for long-term co-existence with gulls.
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Fears ‘deadly' Scottish seagulls could kill someone after spate of attacks
A nationwide summit to tackle Scotland's increasingly aggressive seagull population must be held before someone is seriously hurt or killed, Scottish Parliament has been warned. Former Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross called the debate in Holyrood, arguing the threat posed by 'nuisance' gulls has escalated to a 'deadly' level, with people's lives now at risk. Fellow Tory Rachael Hamilton backed the call, demanding immediate action as more Scots report being 'scared, attacked and traumatised' by the birds. She urged ministers to convene a Scotland-wide summit, warning that localised efforts won't be enough to address the growing crisis. While agriculture minister Jim Fairlie has pledged to host a seagull summit in the north of Scotland, Ms Hamilton, who represents the south of the country, insisted the problem spans far beyond one region. 'This isn't just a local issue,' she said. 'It demands a national response.' The Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire MSP highlighted a spate of attacks in Eyemouth, where seven children were targeted by gulls in a single month last year. One girl was left with deep cuts to her head and blood streaming down her face. Describing the birds as more than a nuisance, she warned they now pose a serious health and safety risk. Yet despite mounting public concern, Ms Hamilton said NatureScot's licensing system for managing the birds remains tangled in bureaucracy and is failing to deliver results. She told MSPs the debate was 'important' and criticised the Scottish Government for failing to take meaningful action. 'Absolutely nothing is getting done. I don't believe the Government are listening to us because the issue continues in my constituency in Eyemouth.' Ms Hamilton added: 'Aggressive seagull behaviour continues to cause a real concern amongst businesses, amongst tourists, amongst everybody that has anything to do along the harbour. 'And it is not just a seasonal nuisance. It is a serious, growing health risk. It's a safety risk, particularly for children and elderly residents.' She said one business owner had described the situation as 'people being scared, attacked and traumatised'. Opening the debate, Mr Ross said people often 'smirk' when hearing that the Scottish Parliament is debating the problems around gulls – but he said it was an 'extremely serious issue'. The Highlands and Islands MSP said constituents have told him they are worried about leaving their homes for fear of being 'divebombed', while others have suffered mental health issues thanks to a lack of sleep caused by noisy gulls. He accused NatureScot of having a conflict of interest as the body responsible for both the licensing to control birds and to conserve them. He said: 'The time has come to break up NatureScot. There is a clear conflict of interest in the fact they are responsible for considering licences to control gulls but are also responsible for protecting bird numbers. 'If the minister cannot see that is a problem, then he is divorced from reality. 'The strength of the cross-party support in my debate today should be all the SNP Government need to finally act before we see someone killed due to being attacked by a gull.' Agriculture minister Jim Fairlie said while people often 'chuckle and laugh' about gulls, it was a 'deadly serious' issue. But he told MSPs he could not intervene in the licensing system, warning that doing so could open the government to judicial review. He said the root cause of the problem was people feeding the birds, either directly or via food waste and litter. SNP MSP Christine Grahame cautioned against 'demonising' gulls, describing them as 'clever, adaptable' animals. 'Language such as 'mugging', 'menace' can be applied to us, our fellow counterparts,' she said. 'But it is not appropriate to demonise an animal simply looking for food.' A spokesperson for NatureScot said: 'We understand gulls can sometimes cause problems in our towns and cities. At the same time, gull populations are facing serious declines.' The body said it must balance health and safety concerns with conservation and had supported individuals, businesses and communities to manage gulls without killing them. As a result, licence applications to destroy nests and eggs and kill chicks fell from 2,633 in 2023 to 1,601 in 2024. 'In the longer term, we will need to find ways to live with gulls and other wildlife,' the spokesperson added.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Don't use 'value-laden language' against seagulls...it might 'demonise' them, claims veteran SNP MSP
An MSP called for seagulls not to be 'demonised' after the Scottish government announced a summit to address serious concerns about the birds attacking people. Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie confirmed the move in a debate on the issue of gulls swooping on the public raised by both former Conservative leader Douglas Ross and SNP grandee Fergus Ewing. But the SNP's Christine Grahame said: 'Language such as 'mugging' and 'menace' can be applied to us, our counterparts, but it is not appropriate to demonise an animal simply looking for food.' She claimed people should modify their own behaviour to tackle the problem and added: 'What we mustn't have is people versus gulls, or gulls versus people.' Mr Ross, a Highlands and Islands Tory MSP, told the chamber he has been 'inundated' with concerns about gulls from constituents, including a couple in the village of Hopeman who were 'worried about going out of their home'. Grahame, who has announced she will not stand in the 2026 Scottish parliament election, pointed members to a submission from the OneKind animal charity that urged them to avoid 'value-laden language' that described gulls as a 'menace or nuisance' and their behaviour as 'mugging' or 'dive-bombing'. Highlands and Islands MSP Mr Ross said: 'Well, I will say these gulls are a menace, they are dive-bombing and they are a problem.' Mr Ewing, who represents Inverness and Nairn, said a swooping gull could cause serious injury for an elderly person while their droppings can cause 'potentially lethal' illness in an infant. The minister said: 'There is absolutely no doubt - we've heard from members right across the chamber - that the people are being injured, they are being attacked and this is something that we have to deal with.' He said action needs to also be taken to find out if human behaviour is allowing gulls to 'thrive', including in urban areas as well as licences for dealing with the birds. Mr Fairlie said: 'I've already said that I will convene a summit in Inverness and we will look at the entire issue.' The power to hand out licenses to deal with birds is with NatureScot, a government-funded quango whose role includes conserving gull numbers as well as controlling them. Mr Fairlie said that licences can only be issued if there is a clear health and safety concern and not because the birds are regarded as a menace or nuisance. Mr Ewing asked if any analysis has been done by the Scottish Government or NatureScot about the health risks, and warned: 'I believe there has been no analysis whatsoever. If so, and there is a fatality, this Government will be held responsible for that fatality because they haven't looked into it.' Mr Ross said: 'In typical nationalist fashion Jim Fairlie believes that another talking shop will solve all these issues when he could take action right now.'
Sky News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News
Calls for Scotland-wide seagull summit amid warnings someone could be killed
Politicians have called for a Scotland-wide seagull summit to be held amid warnings someone could be killed. Former Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross told the Scottish parliament during a debate on the issue that people risk losing their lives over the "growing problem" of "nuisance" gulls. Scots are being left "scared, attacked and traumatised", fellow Tory Rachael Hamilton said as she called for a nationwide summit to tackle the issue. Ms Hamilton said "aggressive" seagulls had attacked seven children in one month last year in Eyemouth, leaving one girl "with gashes to her scalp and blood running down her face". Agriculture minister Jim Fairlie had already promised to hold a seagull summit in the north of Scotland, but Ms Hamilton, who represents the south of Scotland, said a summit for the whole country is necessary. The Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire MSP called for action on the "growing nuisance", which she said posed a health and safety risk to residents. Ms Hamilton said the debate was "important" as she criticised what she said was a lack of action from the Scottish government, telling MSPs that "absolutely nothing" was getting done. "Aggressive seagull behaviour continues to cause a real concern amongst businesses, amongst tourists, amongst everybody that has anything to do along the harbour," she said about her constituency in Eyemouth. She said one business owner had described the situation as "people being scared, attacked and traumatised". 'Extremely serious issue' Mr Ross said during the debate in Scottish parliament on Thursday, one day before summer recess, that people would often "smirk" when hearing that the Scottish Parliament was debating the problems around gulls - but he said it was an "extremely serious issue". The Highlands and Islands MSP said constituents have told him they were worried about leaving their homes for fear of being "divebombed", while others have suffered mental health issues thanks to a lack of sleep caused by noisy gulls. He accused NatureScot of having a conflict of interest as the body responsible for both the licensing to control birds and to conserve them. He went on: "The behaviour of the SNP's quango NatureScot confirms they have lost the plot. They have told people to protect themselves with umbrellas and even suggested dogs as a deterrent. "The time has come to break up NatureScot. There is a clear conflict of interest in the fact they are responsible for considering licences to control gulls but are also responsible for protecting bird numbers." He added: "The strength of the cross-party support in my debate today should be all the SNP government need to finally act before we see someone killed due to being attacked by a gull." Jim Fairlie, the minister for agriculture, warned that the issue of gulls was "deadly serious", but said that he could not intervene on NatureScot to change the licensing system because it would leave the government open to judicial review. He urged people to stop feeding the birds, which he said was the primary reason for the issue.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Calls for Scotland-wide seagull summit amid warnings someone could be killed
A Scotland-wide summit to tackle 'deadly' seagulls must be held amid warnings someone could be killed, the Scottish Parliament has heard. Former Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross, who called a debate on the issue at Holyrood, warned that Scots risk losing their lives over the 'growing problem' of 'nuisance' gulls. Fellow Tory Rachael Hamilton said a nationwide summit must be held to tackle the issue as she warned that Scots are being left 'scared, attacked and traumatised'. Agriculture minister Jim Fairlie had already promised to hold a seagull summit in the north of Scotland but Ms Hamilton, who represents the south of Scotland, said a summit for the whole country is needed. The Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire MSP said 'aggressive' seagulls had attacked seven children in one month last year in Eyemouth, with one girl 'left with gashes to her scalp and blood running down her face'. She called for action on the 'growing nuisance', which she said posed a health and safety risk to residents. Despite rising complaints from locals, though, she said NatureScot's licensing system to control the birds was bureaucratic and failing to solve the issue. 'I think we need a summit,' she said. 'I don't think we just need a summit in Moray, we need a summit across Scotland.' Ms Hamilton said the debate was 'important' as she criticised what she said was a lack of action from the Scottish Government. She told MSPs: 'Absolutely nothing is getting done. I don't believe the Government are listening to us because the issue continues in my constituency in Eyemouth. 'Aggressive seagull behaviour continues to cause a real concern amongst businesses, amongst tourists, amongst everybody that has anything to do along the harbour. 'And it is not just a seasonal nuisance. It is a serious, growing health risk. It's a safety risk, particularly for children and elderly residents.' She said one business owner had described the situation as 'people being scared, attacked and traumatised'. MSPs debated the issue on Thursday, the last day of Parliament before the summer recess. Opening the debate, Mr Ross said people often 'smirk' when hearing that the Scottish Parliament is debating the problems around gulls – but he said it was an 'extremely serious issue'. The Highlands and Islands MSP said constituents have told him they are worried about leaving their homes for fear of being 'divebombed', while others have suffered mental health issues thanks to a lack of sleep caused by noisy gulls. One resident, he said, is spending £2,000 a year to remove nests from her home. 'People should not have to keep living in fear of being divebombed by these menaces on a daily basis, and are crying out for action,' he said. He accused NatureScot of having a conflict of interest as the body responsible for both the licensing to control birds and to conserve them. He went on: 'The behaviour of the SNP's quango NatureScot confirms they have lost the plot. They have told people to protect themselves with umbrellas and even suggested dogs as a deterrent. 'The time has come to break up NatureScot. There is a clear conflict of interest in the fact they are responsible for considering licences to control gulls but are also responsible for protecting bird numbers. 'If the minister cannot see that is a problem, then he is divorced from reality. 'The strength of the cross-party support in my debate today should be all the SNP Government need to finally act before we see someone killed due to being attacked by a gull.' Jim Fairlie, the minister for agriculture, said while people often 'chuckle and laugh' about the issue of gulls, he warned it was 'deadly serious'. But he told MSPs that he could not intervene on NatureScot to change the licensing system because it would leave the Government open to judicial review. He urged people to stop feeding the birds, which he said was the primary reason for the issue. The birds have been an increasingly common site in urban areas as they leave their natural habitat in search of food. He said: 'We have to work out what it is that is causing the issue in the first place. 'We are feeding them – it is quite simple. We are creating habitat, and we are creating feeding stations which are allowing gulls to inhabit our space, and that is now quite clearly coming into conflict.' He added: 'We have got to try and limit food waste and public littering. We have got to take away these feeding opportunities.' SNP MSP Christine Grahame warned against 'demonising' gulls, which she described as 'clever, adaptable' animals. 'Language such as 'mugging', 'menace' can be applied to us, our fellow counterparts,' she said, 'but it is not appropriate to demonise an animal simply looking for food. 'Anthropomorphising is tempting but not helpful.' A NatureScot spokesperson said: 'We understand gulls can sometimes cause problems in our towns and cities. 'At the same time, gull populations are facing serious declines. NatureScot has a duty to balance health and safety concerns with gull conservation. 'Over the last five years we have supported many individuals, businesses and communities to better manage gulls without the need to kill the birds or destroy their nests. 'As a result, the number of licence applications to destroy nests and eggs and kill chicks has reduced, from 2,633 in 2023 to 1,601 in 2024.' The spokesperson said in the longer term, Scots will 'need to find ways to live with gulls and other wildlife'. They added: 'We will continue to work with local authorities to ensure that collaborative gull management plans are put in place for future years, with a focus on effective preventative measures, deterrents, changes to behaviour and guidance.'
