Hansard

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, despite the comments of some.

While this issue might not rank in importance with health, education and crime, it is, as members have said, a problem for a minority of our fellow citizens. Surely the Scottish Parliament should consider the interests of the minority, who also have rights.

The clear message that I am taking away from tonight's debate is that the seagull problem is very real and that it needs action. We all recognise the vital role—indeed, it is a primary role—of Scotland's local authorities in listening and responding to the needs and views of their local population in this regard.

From what has been said tonight, it is clear that many communities are concerned about the nuisance that is caused by seagulls. I know that because, although I live inland, like Margaret Ewing I represent a constituency that includes one of Scotland's most famous coastlines—the Clyde estuary. Seagulls should be a part of the attraction to locals and visitors alike but, as is the case elsewhere, they are not and we all know why.

As every member has said, the eating habits of the gulls around the Scottish coastline have changed; they have become fast-food junkies. Dorothy-Grace Elder rightly said that it is the people of Scotland and our visitors who have made the gulls that way. I accept the point that Margaret Ewing made about the decline in the fishing industry. I am sure that that is a factor in the problem.

Many of us do not dispose of our litter appropriately. I listened to and was struck by what Robin Harper had to say. Even when people dispose of their litter properly, unless bins are gull-proof, the problem remains. The problem arises from discarded chip pokes, McDonald's cartons and so on, the contents of which have become so much a part of our staple diet that they are now part of the seagulls' diet.

We have to do more to address the problem of litter. That is the real problem; not the seagulls alone. We have heard tonight about the urban gull—the scavenger gull—that has become a problem because of those who litter our streets. If we are to address the problem, it is critical that we cut off the supply of junk food. We can do more to stop the litter being dropped in the first place, but the next stage is to ensure that litter and waste are cleared quickly from our streets. Local authorities have a duty to keep our streets free of litter.

I will respond to the point that was raised by Margaret Ewing and David Mundell. In the normal course of events, it is illegal for any bird, including seagulls, to be killed or harmed by any person. I am sure that we all agree that that is as it should be. Local authorities, however, have a statutory duty to undertake pest control where there is a threat to public health and/or safety. Local authorities have to determine the circumstances and take appropriate action, including, if necessary, the humane control of the pest.