Following Jersey’s ban on feeding gulls ‘unnecessary’

MAKING the feeding of gulls illegal – as is now the case in Jersey – would neither be welcome nor necessary here, according to experts.

Published 15 Mar 2018, 9:19am

Ornithologist Vic Froome at Pembroke, not far from the landfill site at Mont Cuet. He can see no reason for following Jersey and introducing a ban on feeding gulls and that the 3,000 that feed from the island’s waste will have to be ingenious in finding food elsewhere. (Picture by Steve Sarre, 20923293) / Guernsey Press

The changes to the Jersey law were announced this week by the island’s director of environmental health.

Unlike Jersey, however, which has a particular problem with the number of urban gulls, Guernsey’s herring gull population is in decline.

However, there are concerns that when Mont Cuet is filled, around September of this year by the latest reports, the gulls will have to feed elsewhere.

‘Gulls are going to become more ingenious when the tip closes,’ said Vic Froome, secretary of La Societe Guernesiaise’s ornithology section.

‘I don’t feed them, but to make it illegal is really silly. Who would police it?

‘The restaurants in Town should all have those big heavy bins, that would help. Anywhere there is food in Town where tourists gather there are gulls and rats.

‘I know of many tips in the UK where they have closed down and the gulls have to find somewhere else to go.

‘There are around 3,000 gulls at our tip. People with food outlets have a responsibility to clean up their mess. And if you’re going to feed birds you have to be aware of the consequences,’ he said.

La Societe Guernesiaise’s land management and conservation officer Jamie Hooper said the current population of herring gulls still used natural sites.

‘We don’t have a noticeable problem, which is a good thing. The closure of Mont Cuet is an issue. We think it will be reflected in the breeding instances in colonies – a lot of those birds are migratory, though.

‘I noticed it straight away in the streets of St Helier, I found it quite oppressive,’ he said.

A spokesman for Agriculture, Countryside and Land Management Services said there had been no calls locally to ban the feeding of gulls and it is not being considered currently.

‘It is not possible to say today whether this would be considered at some future date.

‘It is understood that seagull numbers are dropping, although the reason is unknown.

‘In terms of speculation regarding what will happen to the distribution and feeding behaviour of gulls when the Mont Cuet tip is closed, this will be monitored by relevant parties at the appropriate time,’ the spokesman said.