Dundee City Council is stepping up the war on seagulls after a number of complaints about the birds’ vicious behaviour.
So far this year, the local authority workers have removed 696 eggs and “eradicated” 191 gulls compared to 425 eggs and 116 birds in all of 2015.
The figures were revealed after inquiries by councillor Ian Borthwick, who had raised concerns with the environmental department about seagulls swooping down on people in search of food.
Earlier this year, a teenage girl was attacked by one of the feathery menaces on Reform Street while a woman sustained injuries to her finger as a ravenous gull stole her bacon roll.
Meanwhile, the Courier’s Don’t Be Gullible campaign highlighted evidence that Dundee’s seagull population has tripled since the year 2000.
Councillor Borthwick said: “I think that the figures I was given are good news.
“I’m satisfied that the department is making every effort to resolve this problem.
“It’s certainly something that is causing a significant degree of anxiety among people, especially those with young children.
“Of course there’s always more that needs to be done and I’m hoping we can look at what other local authorities are doing and learn from them.
“I haven’t got all the data yet but it seems that some councils are doing more than others.
“Dundee seems to be in a good position in comparison.
“There are various interests that need to be balanced, such as bird protection versus the safety of the general public.”
A Scottish Government report entitled Review of Urban Gulls and their Management in Scotland identifies a number of problems faced by local authorities such as limited legal powers and gaps in information on the diets, foraging ranges, population mixing and reproductive rates of urban seagulls.
The report states: “At present, a lack of knowledge in several key areas limits the extent to which sound scientific advice can be given on the likelihood of the various mitigation methods achieving their intended aims if implemented.
“There is clearly a strong feeling amongst local authorities in Scotland that difficulties of interpretation, or omission of certain powers available under existing legislation, limit their ability to mitigate against some problems caused by urban gulls.”
