Seagull 'mass slaughter' ruled out as SNP ridiculed for 'googly eyes' and arm waving to deter birds
SNP ministers have opened the door to make it easier to obtain a licences to shoot seagulls but have ruled out a “mass slaughter”.
An SNP minister has been criticised for his “chaotic and comical” response to Scotland’s urban gull problem after a controversial summit suggested people draw “googly eyes on takeaway boxes” and wave their arms about to deter the birds.
SNP agriculture minister Jim Fairlie has opened the door to relaxing licensing to shoot gulls causing a “risk to public health and safety” in urban areas, but has ruled out a "mass slaughter of a bird that is in decline”.
Speaking in Holyrood, Mr Fairlie told MSPs that amid complaints from residents and organisations, the focus must shift from “reactive control to preventative management” and admitted that “licensing is an essential part of managing this problem”.
Currently, NatureScot has a dual role of protecting gulls, with overall numbers in decline despite a surge in urban areas, and also issuing licences for the birds to be shot, with licences issued as a “last resort”.
READ MORE: Menace or misunderstood? The battle over Scotland's seagulls, as tales of 'brazen' attacks grow
Mr Fairlie said: “I recognise the frustrations voiced by communities and elected members about its complexity and inconsistency.
“I’ve raised these concerns directly with NatureScot, and I expect to see improvements in clarity, responsiveness, and practical guidance.”
He added: “Licences for gull control will be issued where there is a demonstrable risk to public health and safety, where they can be issued within the legislation and with a practicality that we expect from a public body working on behalf of the government and ultimately our constituents.
“NatureScot will be working to support licence applications earlier in the year with a focus on licensing in the areas where health and safety needs are highest.”
But Douglas Ross accused the Scottish Government’s summit, held in Inverness to thrash out solutions to the stand-off, as “chaotic and comical".
The former Tory leader branded the summit a “sham” and claimed many campaigners and residents were left “bitterly disappointed and quite frankly angry” after being “excluded”.
Mr Ross revealed some of the suggestions made at the summit, including “to deter the gulls, when you’re walking down a high street, people should walk around waving their arms , because it would stop the gulls swooping on you”.
He also highlighted a suggestion “people should draw eyes on food cartons, because gulls don’t like being stared at”.
Mr Ross said: “It would be funny if it wasn’t so serious.”
In response, Mr Fairlie hit out at Mr Ross for “grandstanding”, accusing the Conservatives of failing to “understand the complexity of a bird’s brain”.
But he admitted that some of the suggestions from NatureScot were “ludicrous”.
He added: “Yes, they talked about googly eyes on takeaway boxes. Yes, they talked about waving their arms in order to distract birds.
“Yes, they also talked about staring at seagulls because seagulls do not like eye contact.”
But Mr Fairlie said the Scottish Government will take “a balanced approach” to dealing with the situation, as opposed to “a mass slaughter of a bird that is already in decline”.
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Mr Ross said: “Seagulls attack human beings and are an absolute menace, yet NatureScot go out of their way to protect them by imposing ridiculous restrictions on licences for controlling these birds.
“It’s clearly a conflict of interest that NatureScot are responsible for both gull preservation and issuing licences. They must now be stripped of that power, so gulls can be managed effectively.”
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