Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 26 June 2025
26 Jun 2025 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Gull Control
I am delighted that Douglas Ross lodged this motion. Since being elected in 2016, I, too, have been inundated with concerns from constituents about screeching gulls dive-bombing people, particularly the elderly and small children, for food or territorial reasons.
In Aberdeen, the council receives around 200 complaints and inquiries about gulls every year, most of which concern aggressive behaviour, noise and damage to buildings. Just last week, on Schoolhill, I saw an enormous gull on the pavement, squaring up and refusing to budge. It was facing off against a terrified elderly woman and eyeballing her food. Aberdeen’s Marischal college, the second-largest granite building in the world, has sustained structural damage from the birds.
I must correct Mark Ruskell’s unevidenced assertions about numbers. A 2015 University of Bristol study showed that the number of urban gull colonies in the UK and Ireland had more than doubled to just under 500. In 2017, The Independent reported that the number had nearly quadrupled. That was eight years ago—the number will be huge by now.
I first started trying to find solutions in 2017.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
I ask those who are leaving the public gallery to do so as quickly and quietly as possible as we move to the next item of business, which is a members’ busin...
Douglas Ross (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
The people who are leaving the public gallery do not know what they are missing, because I am sure that this will be an excellent debate on gulls. A timefram...
Christine Grahame (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP)
SNP
I will address the language that is used about gulls in my speech.
Douglas Ross
Con
I did not hear that properly. I will give way to Christine Grahame again if she wants to repeat what she said.
Christine Grahame
SNP
I do not agree with those terms, and I will address them in a short defence—a cautious defence—of the common gull.
Douglas Ross
Con
Christine Grahame is perfectly able to do that, but I strongly disagree. They are a menace. My constituent in Hopeman who was on the radio today used the phr...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
Given the interest in this subject, it is likely that we will need to extend the debate, but I am conscious that afternoon business starts at 2 o’clock, so I...
Emma Roddick (Highlands and Islands) (SNP)
SNP
I thank Douglas Ross for bringing the debate to the chamber. It is good to have the opportunity to explore what more can be done to deal with local seagull i...
Finlay Carson (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con)
Con
Their relentless and noisy squawking and aggressive behaviour have made them a nuisance across Scotland. No, I am not referring to the nationalists—on this f...
Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)
Lab
I thank Douglas Ross for securing the debate. I pay tribute to the work of Councillors Sandy Keith and John Divers in Moray, who for many years have been wre...
Douglas Ross
Con
We need to hear more from the Government on the crucial issue of approval of licences. Does Rhoda Grant agree that, in many cases where NatureScot rejects ap...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
Ms Grant, I can give you the time back for the intervention.
Rhoda Grant
Lab
Thank you, Presiding Officer. I absolutely agree with Douglas Ross’s point. The same constituent of mine who wrote to NatureScot was told to approach local g...
Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green)
Green
I thank Douglas Ross for lodging the motion for debate. I certainly acknowledge that there are areas where we need more effective management and consideratio...
Fergus Ewing (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind)
Ind
It has just been stated that the populations of herring gulls and urban black gulls—the two main species—have declined, but there is no evidence for that. In...
Mark Ruskell
Green
I ask Mr Ewing to speak to NatureScot and those who are monitoring our bird populations across Scotland. The fact that herring gulls are on the red list of p...
Craig Hoy (South Scotland) (Con)
Con
As we prepare to take flight, I congratulate Douglas Ross on bringing forward this important debate. As colleagues across the chamber have referenced, the me...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
I advise members that we are very tight for time. I will have to restrict later speakers to three minutes, as well as extending the debate. 13:18
Fergus Ewing (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind)
Ind
I thank Douglas Ross for securing the motion for debate and for the joint working that we have done, and the Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity for hi...
Brian Whittle (South Scotland) (Con)
Con
I thank my colleague Douglas Ross for bringing the debate to the chamber. I listened to the interaction between Douglas Ross and Christine Grahame about ter...
Christine Grahame
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
Brian Whittle
Con
Of course I will give way to Christine Grahame.
Christine Grahame
SNP
“Dive-bombing” is a description of an action. Terms such as “menace” apply a characteristic.
Brian Whittle
Con
It is a very apt description of what gulls have been doing for years. I acknowledge that a balance must be struck between managing nuisance birds and managi...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
Due to the number of members who still wish to speak in the debate, I am minded to accept a motion without notice, under rule 8.14.3, to extend the debate by...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
I call Beatrice Wishart, to be followed by Liam Kerr. You have up to three minutes, Ms Wishart. 13:26
Beatrice Wishart (Shetland Islands) (LD)
LD
Sorry—I missed what you said, Presiding Officer. Did you say three or four minutes?
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
Three minutes.
Beatrice Wishart
LD
Three minutes. Okay. I thank Douglas Ross for bringing the debate to the chamber this afternoon. As the motion states, gulls can be a problem and even dang...
Liam Kerr (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
I am delighted that Douglas Ross lodged this motion. Since being elected in 2016, I, too, have been inundated with concerns from constituents about screechin...