Scotland's government is calling an emergency meeting to discuss the gulls' aggressive behavior. The announcement comes after several members of the Scottish parliament accused the administration in Edinburgh of passivity. The birds must be controlled, they claim.
Several children have been attacked, said member Rachael Hamilton in a debate in parliament last week. In one case, a girl got deep gashes in her head, she said according to the newspaper The Scotsman.
The Scots are afraid and traumatized.
Member Douglas Ross warns that the situation can get completely out of hand. Some people dare not leave their homes for fear of being "dive-bombed" by the gulls, he says according to Sky News. Others suffer from sleep deprivation due to the birds' constant screeching.
The government needs to act before someone is killed in a gull attack, he said during the debate.
Clawed bloody
The gulls have been plaguing the Scots for a long time. Last year, The Scotsman reported on café owner Kate Carter-Larg in the coastal town of St Andrews, who raised all prices by 1 pound in a form of "gull insurance". The gulls steal so much food that it becomes economically unsustainable to replace all the stolen food for customers, she said.
People are even left bloody when the gulls attack to take food. Old women email and write that they have sprained their ankles because of the gulls. And the children cry.
Even further south in the UK, the birds are causing problems. Last week, the retired dog handler Phil Marshall was clawed bloody when he left his residence in Hastings, reports BBC.
I can handle 45 kilo shepherds, but apparently not gulls, says the 67-year-old.
Threatened species
The British animal organization RSPB now advises the public to put up an umbrella when they enter or leave a building.
It's not the first time the gull problem is up for debate in the UK. Already in 2015, then Prime Minister David Cameron demanded action against gulls in the country's southern parts, according to The Telegraph. This happened after several pets were attacked - in at least two cases with fatal outcome.
Several gull species are however listed as threatened and are decreasing in number, among other things due to decreased fish stocks and increased exploitation of coastal areas. In Scotland, the number of issued licenses to destroy gull nests and eggs has therefore decreased sharply - from over 2,600 in 2023 to 1,600 last year, writes The Independent.
Do not leave food leftovers after the picnic in the park.
Get burglar-proof trash cans with lids.
Make the roof an uninhabitable place with for example chicken wire. Also cover any plantings.
All bird nests are protected. But before the parents have started brooding, you can try to disturb them to get them to move.
Be patient when it comes to gull chicks in urban environments. The chicks learn to fly in three-four weeks and normally move from the city when they are flight-ready.
In the worst case: Call the municipality's environmental office. In extreme cases, they can hire their protection hunters.
Source: The Nature Conservation Association and ornithologist Steve Dahlfors
