I don't know about you but I'm beginning to be heartily sick of any problem arising within the natural world being threatened with a solution that involves killing!! Think about it.....
Badgers
Foxes
Muntjac numbers in Thetford
Wild Boar numbers in the Forest of Dean and elsewhere
And now, Herring Gulls. The Leader of the "Greenest Government "ever has decreed action needs to be taken against these marauding predators that steal ice creams and such like. I'd suggest we also activate a "job cull" against any advisor or official who presents a knee jerk solution involving culling members of our natural heritage prior to any sensible consideration of the factors involved and what solutions might be on offer.
From time immemorial gulls at the coast and elsewhere have taken advantage of tasty snacks where the vigilance of the owner has waned a little. I'm sure I had the odd cornet top snaffled at Scarborough or Bridlington within the sun hat days of yesteryear so the problem is not new. A wailing infant, an anxious Mother and Grandma keen to rectify the situation and get a replacement Cornetto........and bystanders having a chuckle with accompanying comments " Hey, did you see that". And who hasn't seen resort visitors offering up tasty morsels in outstretched fingers for swooping gulls to pluck at and satisfy their hunger. Chips are the usual fare , but I suspect other remnants figure large within the available menu. And as for dogs being injured, might it be the case of them competing for discarded food and losing out? Please don't tell me little pooch is not attracted by having a snuffle in wrappers and seeking out the odd tasty morsel!! Let's modify our behaviour to begin with and see what results So, first of all, lets ban feeding the birds along the promenades, leaving food remains strewn about and, secondly, lets up the clearance of favoured areas be it by litter bins being emptied regularly or areas being swept. And what of the cost cry the local authorities? Culling birds will not be cheap and will not make the problem go away either while ever food is available.
Let's just think a bit instead of seeking to eliminate things!
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