GULL MANAGEMENT

NatureScot has launched a new national awareness campaign encouraging people across Scotland to stop feeding gulls, manage waste responsibly and take steps to gull-proof their homes and businesses.

The campaign follows discussions held at the People and Gulls summit last year, where stakeholders from across Scotland met to discuss the growing challenges posed by urban gull populations.

BPCA was represented at the summit by Technical and Compliance Manager Niall Gallagher, helping to ensure the professional pest management sector was involved in shaping practical solutions.

The campaign, which launched this week, includes a three-week radio advertising campaign running across , like Kiss and Magic, and a parallel three-week social media campaign across Facebook and Instagram.

Advertising is targeted at people living and working in coastal towns and cities where conflicts with gulls are most common.

The messaging focuses on three key behaviour changes:

• Not feeding gulls
• Securing waste and avoiding littering
• Gull-proofing homes and buildings.

Alongside the advertising campaign, NatureScot has launched a with materials for councils, businesses and community groups to support local awareness efforts. The page includes downloadable posters, social media graphics and guidance on gull management.

Pest management expertise at the table

BPCA said it welcomed the campaign and the collaborative approach taken through the summit and follow-up discussions.

Niall said:

“Urban gulls are a complex issue. They’re a protected species, but they can also cause real problems for residents, businesses and local authorities when populations grow in built-up areas.

Professional pest management has an important role to play in helping communities manage those impacts responsibly. That means understanding the law, using evidence-based methods and focusing on prevention wherever possible.

Niall Gallagher, BPCA Technical and Compliance Manager 

“We were pleased to take part in the People and Gulls Summit and contribute the practical experience of pest professionals who deal with these issues on the ground every day.”

Work continues after the summit

The campaign forms part of a wider programme of work developed following the summit.

NatureScot has also hosted a series of regional roundtables in Irvine, Dumfries, Eyemouth and Fraserburgh. Feedback from these discussions will help shape local management approaches and future best practice guidance.

Other work currently underway includes:

• Funding for gull management plans, to support local authorities in developing area-based strategies for locations experiencing the greatest impacts
• Improved population monitoring, with new survey methods and reporting on some gull species every five years
• Development of best practice guidance for managing gull behaviour in urban environments
• Creation of a National Gull Forum (set to take place in April), bringing together stakeholders from across Scotland.

The new awareness campaign aims to support this wider work by tackling the behaviours that often attract gulls into towns and cities in the first place.

Resources for councils, businesses and communities are available on the NatureScot website.