Find a way to live with swooping seagulls, Scots told
Due to declining populations, the birds have protected status even though there have been increasing reports of them stealing food in coastal resorts.
Last year NatureScot, the government agency, turned down a record 620 applications submitted by individuals and businesses to demolish gull nests, many more than in previous years.
Just 40 applications were rejected in 2023 while only one was turned down the year before that, according to data obtained by The Mail on Sunday.
The agency said it has a duty to balance health and safety concerns with gull conservation and the birds were facing 'serious declines' in their populations. Its approach now was to support individuals, businesses and communities to 'better manage gulls without the need to kill the birds or destroy their nests'.
A spokesman said: 'There will be times when gulls are causing a health and safety issue. In the longer term, we need to find ways to live with gulls and other wildlife.'
The gull threat is most obvious in seaside communities where they forage for food such as chips, pies and pasties in people's hands. The birds can also be aggressive when defending nests during the egg hatching season.
• Eat with your back to the wall: smart ways to keep seagulls at bay
The threat has been raised in parliament by the Scottish Conservatives as concern grows over gull attacks. Douglas Ross, the Highland list MSP and former party leader, said he had been 'inundated' with complaints.
'It's an escalating problem that's putting public safety at risk,' Ross said. 'The SNP government and NatureScot are completely out of touch with reality.'
Richard Lochhead, an SNP MSP who represents Moray, said he had contacted Jim Fairlie, the agriculture minister, about the issue.
One mother wrote to him about her and her children being regularly attacked by the birds. She said: 'I'm terrified to even leave my house at times. I've been dive-bombed and there comes a point where it's a serious problem. I am genuinely developing a phobia of them.'
• Seagull after your chips? Fear the squadron, not the loner
Capturing, injuring or destroying any wild bird in Scotland, or interfering with nests or eggs, is illegal. However, licences are granted to get rid of nests in areas where gulls are a menace. While 2,041 such licences were granted in 2023, only 505 were in 2024.
Gulls are a common sight in many areas near the coast but some species, such as herring gulls and kittiwakes, are on the UK red list as species of conservation concern.
The latest Seabirds Count census shows all five breeding species of gull continuing to decline, with numbers in Scotland down by between 44 per cent and 75 per cent depending on species.
The declines are attributed to factors such as changes in food availability and land use, with some species also suffering losses because of recent outbreaks of avian flu.
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