Seagulls

Public encouraged to stop feeding birds

(Date of issue: Friday 25 February 2011)

Carlisle City Council’s Environment and Economy Overview and Scrutiny Panel, decided yesterday (Thursday 24 March, 2011) to ask the public not to feed birds in the city centre.

The panel asked for a report outlining options for controlling seagulls as, from time to time, the City Council receives complaints of seagulls ‘dive bombing’ people. This is usually during the nesting/breeding season when people get too close to the birds’ nesting areas such as the city centre and industrial estates. The noise of the seagulls is also a common complaint. There have also been complaints about seagulls flying too close to people in the city centre.

The panel agreed that the City Council should:

• Increase public awareness to stop the public feeding birds in the city centre
• Encourage businesses to take action to proof their buildings against nesting gulls
• Maintain a high quality street cleaning service.
• Provide advice on what to do if gulls are causing a problem such as contacting a specialist pest control company
• Monitoring the number and type of complaints.

Cllr Ray Bloxham, Carlisle City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Local Environment, said:

“Urban seagulls are attracted to city centres and industrial estates as they can get easy access to food sources. This can be people deliberately feeding them but it is also the amount of food dropped from takeaways and other refuse. Our street cleaners will clear up debris to reduce seagulls’ food sources and we are urging residents to bin their rubbish properly and not be tempted to deliberately throw food down as bird feed.”