Government’s gull summit branded a ‘sham’ and ‘frustrating waste of time’

A Scottish Government summit on how to tackle the threat posed by urban seagulls has been branded a “sham” – with MSPs told those at the event were urged to “walk around waving their arms” and to draw eyes on takeaway boxes in order to deter the birds from swooping.

Agriculture minister Jim Fairlie convened the special event in Inverness last week, saying it had been organised in response to  “increasing public concern about the impact of gull populations” in towns and cities.

However, Scottish Tory MSP Douglas Ross insisted the event was a “sham”.

He said he had been contacted by “councillors, community councillors, resident associations and others who were bitterly disappointed and quite frankly angry” at being excluded from the Government-organised summit.

But Mr Ross added: “The feedback I have had from those who did attend is that it was a frustrating waste of time.”

The Conservative claimed the “practical solutions” put forward at the summit including telling people to “walk around waving their arms because it would stop the gulls swooping on you”.

He also said it was suggested that for takeaway boxes “the solution was to draw on eyes because gulls are scared of being stared at”.

Mr Ross blasted: “It would be funny if it wasn’t so serious.”

His comments came as he hit out at the “chaotic and comical approach from this Government and its quango NatureScot” on the issue.

Mr Fairlie, however, insisted that staging summits on such “thorny issues” could allow ministers to find “proportionate solutions”.

He said: “From Eyemouth to Inverness, Dumfries to Aberdeen, we have heard from residents, businesses and local authorities about the disruption caused by gulls, particularly during the nesting season.”

With complaints including persistent noise from the birds and their “aggressive behaviour”, the minister said: “These concerns are real and I want to assure the chamber they are being taken seriously and this Government will take targeted action where necessary.”

He stressed the need to tackle the “root causes” of the problem, such as the availability of food and nesting sites for the birds in urban areas.

But he said such action would require co-ordinated effort from the government, councils, health boards, housing associations and individual households.

However, he pledged events would be held in the worst affected areas, to bring together key bodies to agree “collaborative action ahead of the next breeding season”.

He also said that Highland Council and Nature Scot had committed to developing a gull management pilot for Inverness – which the minister said could be used to inform national best practice.