Published: 28/08/2015
The public are being asked to help reduce the nuisance being caused by seagulls in a poster produced by Copeland Borough Council.
The council has received no complaints about people being attacked by the seagulls in Whitehaven or anywhere else in Copeland, however they are being contacted by residents about the mess the birds cause, rummaging through bin bag for food, and we deal with these issues swiftly.
Elected Mayor of Copeland, Mike Starkie said: “We realise seagulls, whilst a defining feature of any seaside town, do cause problems.
“The seagulls are a protected species and therefore it is illegal to remove nests and eggs or to kill these birds.
“We have taken advice from experts in this field, including the RSPB to help reduce the problems. Everyone can play their part by eliminating the birds’ food source and not feeding the seagulls or drop food outside.
“We have produced the posters which any resident or business owner can download, print off and display in their windows to remind visitors and locals not to feed the seagulls.
“As responsible property owners we try to make sure gulls do not nest on our council buildings – and we would urge other property owners to do this too. Removing nests before eggs are laid or after the young have flown can help.
“Our staff can also advise building owners how to stop birds nesting there in the future. Spikes, mesh and other low-cost measures can be effective.
“We continue to survey and monitor breeding pair numbers and hope that, with a combination of the methods above, we can as a community control the problem.”
The poster can be downloaded from the council’s website www.copeland.gov.uk or Facebook page.
