NatureScot and Scottish Government feeling the heat over gull menace as north MSPs and Inverness BID hit out at inaction despite ‘seagull summit’ vow
Pressure is mounting on NatureScot and Scottish Government over the menace that is presented by gulls across the Highlands.
Starting in Holyrood with MSPs Douglas Ross and Fergus Ewing demanding action from Jim Fairlie, the minister for agriculture and connectivity.
And then followed up by Inverness BID who have been struggling for more than a year with NatureScot to get the right license to reduce the number of eggs in the city.
Highlands and Islands Tory MSP Mr Ross accused Mr Fairlie of being “detached from reality” when it comes to the ever-growing problem of gulls in the region.
Mr Ross questioned the minister on whether he believed NatureScot respects the views of local people and businesses over applications to control seagulls.
Mr Fairlie said he believes they do “consider and respect” views which vary widely and once again said that he would hold a summit later this year on the subject.
He said: “This latest response from Jim Fairlie shows he is completely detached from reality when it comes to what my constituents are having to endure.
“It is simply rubbish for him to say NatureScot respects the views of local people and businesses when it comes to gull licences”.
Mr Ross then produced a Freedom of Information response from NatureScot that revealed the reasons why licences were rejected.
They included failing to show that gulls posed a risk to public health or public safety – this is despite widespread reports of the public being injured by attacks.
And failing to demonstrate that there were satisfactory solutions available to stop the gulls returning and nesting – this despite a desire to control numbers.
‘Issue headwear or umbrellas to protect people from attacks’
Inverness BID have a different account of the license process – one that smacks of a Kafka-esque moving of goal posts at every new application that results in refusal.
A spokeswoman for the BID Board said: “While the law remains unchanged, the new guidance has made it nearly impossible to obtain licences for egg and nest removal, even where all satisfactory measures have been undertaken to preserve public health and safety.
“Some reasons given for refusals have been concerning, one cited for example the businesses pre-tax profits, another required proof that aggressive gulls were nesting on that premises roof.
“A new requirement to show that premises are frequented by vulnerable groups; and that photographic evidence, hard to obtain at height, be provided further limits existing statutory protections.
“Current guidance also states that headwear or umbrellas should be issued to protect people from attacks which is wholly impractical in a busy city centre area.
“Nearly 150 cases of adverse impact were recorded via our portal in 2024, including the public requiring medical treatment and injuries to children and older people”.
She added: “Along with our North BID colleagues, we have therefore called for the Gull Summit to be held later in the year to be held in Inverness”.
‘Unwilling to take any further action’
That has resulted in what Mr Ewing fears is a situation where gulls swooping for food or behaving more aggressively during nesting may result in “very serious injuries especially to those who are elderly or have impaired mobility”.
He said: “They will be likely to fall as a result of such attacks. A 74 year old man was injured last month in Nairn as reported by the Inverness Courier.
“I raised this case in Parliament with Minister Jim Fairlie. But he appears unwilling to take any further action now.
“What happens if someone falls and breaks a hip, as a result of further attacks. Such injuries often lead to loss of the capacity for independent living or even reduced life expectancy.
“Moreover gull droppings if they land in a pram with a toddler may well be consumed leading to contraction of any one of several horrific diseases. These are not remote scenarios. The local Business improvement Teams who do good work to try to protect the public keep records of injuries caused by gulls.
“NatureScot don’t. They don’t seem to care much for humans. Gulls are more important. The failure of government to intervene and use legal powers to order this quango to act may result in serious injury.
He added: “I warned them before and repeated that warning in Holyrood yesterday along with MSP Douglas Ross”.
