POTENTIAL actions to tackle “out of control” gulls have come under scrutiny after seven children were left with gashes to their scalps in Eyemouth.
Following the attacks by herring gulls earlier this year, East Berwickshire Independent councillor James Anderson presented a motion to Scottish Borders Council in August calling for preventative action to reduce the over-sized gull population in the town.
Historically SBC undertook egg oiling and nest destruction in certain areas, while bird guards on bins were also installed to prevent access.
But in 2019 those services changed from demand-led to being paid for and as a result there were only three such requests in one year and they were withdrawn.
When members of SBC reconvened at a recent meeting, an interim response to the motion was presented.
Potential measures could include spikes on roofs, gull scaring kites, deploying more wheelie bins in place of standard open bins, which prevent access to gulls, and to work with schools on an education programme regarding such issues as discarded food.
Members were informed that more work needs to be carried out, in consultation with bodies such as Nature Scot, to create a gull management plan.
A gull management programme has been rolled out in neighbouring Dumfries & Galloway, which costs in the region of £84k a year.
Councillor Julie Pirone, Conservative for Tweeddale East, suggested consulting with Royal Mail, which has prepared a full gull management plan.
She said: “It sets out how to protect postmen delivering the mail to residents at certain times of the year, with some people not getting their mail because of a problem with gulls, including in Eyemouth.
“The local delivery office or the mail centre office in Edinburgh will have that plan and the health and safety experts will have that plan. I would suggest we ask them to share some of their knowledge.”
