Chamber
Plenary, 07 Nov 2002
07 Nov 2002 · S1 · Plenary
Item of business
Seagulls <br />(Nuisance to Communities)
I congratulate David Mundell on raising the issue, because it is serious. Like him, I have noticed that our esteemed press corps has regarded the matter as a bit of a funny subject, but it is no laughing matter for many of the constituents who have contacted me to tell me about the difficulties that they have encountered.
Many people are terrified by the presence of large colonies of gulls—or gows, as we call them in our area. People do not regard them as feathered friends; they see them as a threatening menace. Anyone who has been up close to a gull will know how threatening they can appear. The problem must be particularly difficult for elderly people.
Those of us who have lived in coastal communities for years have seen the problem developing for a considerable time. I have heard a wide range of complaints from constituents who have been dive-bombed—and of course my husband was the subject of a dive-bombing while he was out doing his running training between Lossiemouth and Roseisle on a Sunday. Other people have been dive-bombed while following their normal pursuits of walking, golfing or running, all of which are important aspects of community life in Moray.
David Mundell rightly raised the issue of disturbed sleep. Our bedroom in Lossiemouth has a flat roof. During the summer months, we are regularly awakened at 4 am by the seagulls on our roof. At times, it seems as if they are practising for parts in "Riverdance", because they sound as if they are wearing tackety boots. The noise that they make is quite incredible.
That is a serious point. Hoteliers and owners of bed-and-breakfast establishments in the area have told me that tourists have said that they will not come to the area again. They love Moray, its facilities and its beauty, but they will not come back because of the noise of the seagulls and the menace that they feel is over their heads.
As I said, we have been aware of the problem developing for some time. There are two reasons for the problem. The first relates to the depleted fish stocks. The gows used to follow the boats and they ate what was discarded from the boats. Now that there are fewer and fewer boats ploughing their way through our seas, the birds are moving further inland.
The second reason relates to the arrival of wheelie bins, which deny seagulls access to human rubbish. Seagulls even go for rubbish that has been disposed of sensibly in black bags. Having chased seagulls away from my black bags at half-past 7 one rainy morning, I can tell members that it was not a pleasant experience. My constituents probably thought that I should have been certified.
Seagulls have become urban scavengers, moving further inland all the time. What can we do? David Mundell has made several recommendations with which I agree. People must clean up their litter habits. There should be greater use of the facilities that already exist to fine people for destroying our environment by the careless discarding of rubbish, particularly foodstuffs. We should fine the litter louts a lot more than we do. Facilities exist and I think that they should be strengthened and better enforced.
Councils already have the powers to cull. However, I believe that we all want that to be done humanely. It should also be done by appropriate qualified pest control organisations. After all, if a person has a hive of wasps in their garage or house, they phone the environmental health department and it sends out someone who is qualified to deal with the problem. Why cannot we do the same with gulls?
Other suggestions have included the bird-proofing of buildings or the introduction of scaring measures. As David Mundell pointed out, there is no proof that those measures have worked.
I believe that the Scottish Executive should address the matter seriously. People are reaching the end of their tether. Individuals are not allowed to shoot gulls, but they are being driven to take such measures. Decent, law-abiding citizens feel that they have reached the stage where they must break the law. We must give better guidance to local authorities to ensure that our citizens are not placed in that position.
Many people are terrified by the presence of large colonies of gulls—or gows, as we call them in our area. People do not regard them as feathered friends; they see them as a threatening menace. Anyone who has been up close to a gull will know how threatening they can appear. The problem must be particularly difficult for elderly people.
Those of us who have lived in coastal communities for years have seen the problem developing for a considerable time. I have heard a wide range of complaints from constituents who have been dive-bombed—and of course my husband was the subject of a dive-bombing while he was out doing his running training between Lossiemouth and Roseisle on a Sunday. Other people have been dive-bombed while following their normal pursuits of walking, golfing or running, all of which are important aspects of community life in Moray.
David Mundell rightly raised the issue of disturbed sleep. Our bedroom in Lossiemouth has a flat roof. During the summer months, we are regularly awakened at 4 am by the seagulls on our roof. At times, it seems as if they are practising for parts in "Riverdance", because they sound as if they are wearing tackety boots. The noise that they make is quite incredible.
That is a serious point. Hoteliers and owners of bed-and-breakfast establishments in the area have told me that tourists have said that they will not come to the area again. They love Moray, its facilities and its beauty, but they will not come back because of the noise of the seagulls and the menace that they feel is over their heads.
As I said, we have been aware of the problem developing for some time. There are two reasons for the problem. The first relates to the depleted fish stocks. The gows used to follow the boats and they ate what was discarded from the boats. Now that there are fewer and fewer boats ploughing their way through our seas, the birds are moving further inland.
The second reason relates to the arrival of wheelie bins, which deny seagulls access to human rubbish. Seagulls even go for rubbish that has been disposed of sensibly in black bags. Having chased seagulls away from my black bags at half-past 7 one rainy morning, I can tell members that it was not a pleasant experience. My constituents probably thought that I should have been certified.
Seagulls have become urban scavengers, moving further inland all the time. What can we do? David Mundell has made several recommendations with which I agree. People must clean up their litter habits. There should be greater use of the facilities that already exist to fine people for destroying our environment by the careless discarding of rubbish, particularly foodstuffs. We should fine the litter louts a lot more than we do. Facilities exist and I think that they should be strengthened and better enforced.
Councils already have the powers to cull. However, I believe that we all want that to be done humanely. It should also be done by appropriate qualified pest control organisations. After all, if a person has a hive of wasps in their garage or house, they phone the environmental health department and it sends out someone who is qualified to deal with the problem. Why cannot we do the same with gulls?
Other suggestions have included the bird-proofing of buildings or the introduction of scaring measures. As David Mundell pointed out, there is no proof that those measures have worked.
I believe that the Scottish Executive should address the matter seriously. People are reaching the end of their tether. Individuals are not allowed to shoot gulls, but they are being driven to take such measures. Decent, law-abiding citizens feel that they have reached the stage where they must break the law. We must give better guidance to local authorities to ensure that our citizens are not placed in that position.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Mr George Reid):
SNP
The final item of business is a members' business debate on motion S1M-3499, in the name of David Mundell, on nuisance caused by seagulls.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament notes that seagulls are causing an increasing nuisance in communities across Scotland and believes that the Scottish Executive should dev...
David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con):
Con
It is apposite that this debate on how to tackle the nuisance caused by gulls in urban areas should follow a debate on quality of life, which has confirmed t...
Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP):
SNP
I congratulate David Mundell on raising the issue, because it is serious. Like him, I have noticed that our esteemed press corps has regarded the matter as a...
Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con):
Con
I congratulate David Mundell on securing tonight's debate. There is more than one way to get to the top of the list for members' business; having a common in...
Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green):
Green
Margaret Ewing referred to her husband's experience of being attacked by seagulls when he was running near Lossiemouth, where I used to love to walk. She has...
Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
Close encounters of the gull variety. In Edinburgh, just about every night, Hitchcockesque flocks darken the skies, screaming and apparently driving away flo...
Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con):
Con
I agree with Christine Grahame's comments about litter louts. Before this, we had a debate on the quality of life in Scotland. One of the things that we all ...
Robin Harper:
Green
Herring gulls are the main problem.
Phil Gallie:
Con
I accept that the herring gull is the main problem, but the black-headed gull can also be a problem and, where it is, that might be a light-hearted solution....
Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (Ind):
Ind
I had not intended to speak. I attended the debate to reduce my ignorance of the subject. I once lived on the coast, but that was in the days when the coast ...
The Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development (Allan Wilson):
Lab
I join members in congratulating David Mundell on securing the debate and I thank members for attending. I think that the debate has been time well spent, de...
Dr Winnie Ewing (Highlands and Islands) (SNP):
SNP
Someone mentioned the presence of gulls in enormous numbers in the fields where pigs are in the open air, living in little huts. It seems to me that in any i...
Allan Wilson:
Lab
I am happy to do so, although the clear evidence that I have received from the Executive's chief medical officer is that although seagulls are a nuisance, th...
Meeting closed at 17:45.