Campaign promotes seagull control in the Highlands
11th May 2010
A campaign to raise awareness of the problem of seagulls nesting in urban areas in the Highlands has been launched today (Tuesday 11 May) by The Highland Council.
Although the Council has no statutory duty to take action against gulls, it recognises the misery that gulls cause many homeowners and businesses throughout the nesting season, which is just about to begin.
The campaign will see copies of a leaflet on Seagull Control being distributed throughout Council Service Points, libraries, Transport Environmental and Community Services offices and on the Council's website at: www.highland.gov.uk/seagullcontrol.
It provides information and advice on gulls and the law; problems caused by gulls; the controlling of gulls; deterrent measures; and education about gulls.
Councillor John Laing, Chairman of The Highland Council's TEC Services Committee, said: "Gulls are very opportunistic scavengers and take full advantage of the leftovers that we humans provide for them and the nesting places that they create in our urban areas. Food sources can either be deliberately provided with food scraps, bread and take-aways or indirectly by overfilling household bins or littering.
"I urge everyone not to drop litter in the streets and not to feed gulls at the riverside, harbour or park. I also call on homeowners not to feed seagulls in their gardens and to ensure that their bin lids are closed; and businesses to ensure that their waste is securely stored."
The leaflet also explains that only licensed contractors with specialist skill and experience are legally allowed to kill certain species of gulls. It also explains what homeowners and businesses can do to prevent gulls nesting on their properties and gives examples of the different types of deterrent measures that can be taken to try to prevent gulls from nesting.
Councillor Laing added: "There is no easy answer to dealing with the problem of gulls in urban areas but if we can help to educate the public and advise them of the measures available to them then hopefully we can make a difference."
Related Businesses
Related Articles
As intimated in Highland Council's budget plan, a new senior management structure is to be implemented following approval by Council 14th March. It reconfigures the senior management team into two layers, rather than three and brings Highland Council into line with other benchmarked authorities.
Today, Morrison Construction introduced some of their local apprentices who are working on the UK Governments' Levelling Up Funded refurbishment project at the Northern Meeting Park in Inverness. All these apprentices have been recruited from the Highland area.
The by-election to elect a councillor to represent Ward 19 - Inverness South on The Highland Council has been won by Duncan Cameron McDonald - Independent who was one of the eight candidates who contested the vacancy. Voters in the ward went to the poll yesterday (Thursday 11 April) and the by-election count was held this morning in The Highland Council Headquarters in Inverness.
The Technology Placement Programme offers funding to businesses in the Highland Council area to cover up to 70% of the cost of employing a student or graduate. The Technology Placement Programme offers funding to businesses in the Highland Council area to cover up to 70% of the cost of employing a student or graduate.
Following the success of its Business Digital Grant scheme launched last year, The Highland Council is delighted to announce further funding. This is to help Highland companies access digital support alongside other business growth support.
The Highland Council is delighted to confirm a highly successful second year for Public Service Obligation (PSO) flights between Wick and Aberdeen. The period from April 2023 to March 2024 has seen a substantial increase in passenger numbers, with several months seeing over 1,000 passengers using the service, and overall the service has seen year on year growth of 25%.
Members of Highland Council, who met on Thursday 14 March 2024, approved a corporate Digital Ambition, which has been designed to deliver significant organisational change across Council services, recognising the current priorities within the organisation. The Strategy, which is embedded within the wider Council Delivery Plan, has been developed to focus attention and resources on areas of change which will deliver the greatest benefit to the Council.
The Council remains committed to supporting mentoring in our schools, including the support that is currently delivered through the MCR Pathways programme. Highland Council is currently undertaking a review of Employability Support provided by a number of different council services and how these relate to the work carried out by external partners and in our schools.
Highland Council members have considered and agreed a revised draft Highland Outcome Improvement Plan. The partnership plan has been reviewed and updated by the Community Planning Partnership.
Members at today's (14 March 2024) meeting of The Highland Council agreed the local authority's new draft Community Wealth Building Strategy. They were also asked to note that a period of public engagement on the draft will now begin, with a final strategy returning to full Council for consideration in September.
