Call for pest control in Fife to treat seagulls same way as rats, mice and wasps

Councillors on the region’s environment and protective services sub-committee have admitted the local authority needs to do something about seagull nuisance across the region - but only if private contractors could not meet the demand.

Complaints about aggressive gull attacks and associated problems such as bird droppings and nesting materials blocking drains and gutters continue to be received each year, but few options are available to local authorities apart from education and awareness campaigns.

An initiative in Inverkeithing has seen an 86% reduction in nests resulting in chicks, but that was a community-led project which saw households in the town’s Boreland estate pay £30 a year into a fund which paid for a private contractor to remove nests and eggs throughout the breeding season.

Councillor David Barratt, who represents the Inverkeithing ward, praised the hard work of the community there but said he would love to see the council offer some sort of service to remove nests and eggs in problem areas.

He also said he had heard of people in the area being hospitalised due to injuries inflicted by swooping seagulls.

“I would love to see the council offer a service to remove nests and eggs in the same way as we do for mice for £75 and for wasps for £72,” he said.

“I know there would be an element of training and upskilling for staff and relevant licences would have to be applied for, but I don’t think it would be too difficult.”

Kirstie Freeman, Safer Communities manager, said staffing levels would not make it possible.

“Resourcing would certainly be an issue in terms of manpower,” she noted.

Committee convener Councillor Ross Vettraino said the gull problems was only going to get worse and argued it could provide another commercial revenue stream for the council.

“We need to do something about this and if the private sector cannot meet the demand for control of these pests then I do feel the council should be in a position to do something about it,” he commented.

Thank you for reading this article on our free-to-read website. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

Please consider purchasing a subscription to our print newspaper to help fund our trusted, fact-checked journalism.

https://www.localsubsplus.co.uk/nord/dm/FFP/V