Much like Marmite, they provoke "love them or hate them" feelings among their human neighbours.

Personally, I like their noisiness, it is one of those sounds that evokes the seaside.

However, I find many of their other traits a lot less endearing, such as shredding black rubbish sacks looking for food, splatting droppings or dive bombing to protect their chicks.

One of the questions I have been asked several times in recent months is whether they are protected species.

The answer is yes and no (sorry!).

Seagulls themselves have no special protection, but along with most other wild animals and birds, have generic protection within the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

This piece of legislation is still the major tool for protecting animals, birds and plant life in Britain, even though it is now 27 years old.

The first paragraph is the most important if you are a seagull.

This states it is an offence to injure, kill or take a wild bird, destroy or remove its nest, or take or destroy its egg.

However, there are a few exceptions, for example, public health reasons.

This exception could be invoked by a statutory agency if it was felt to be in the public interest to eradicate seagulls.

However, anti-social seagulls may be, it is unlikely their activities would pass the tests necessary for selective culls.

Certain species are afforded extra protection in the Act.

In most cases these are rarer birds, and herring gulls (or any other gull for that matter) do not fit into this category.

For now then, it seems we will have to put up with seagulls' anti-social behaviour.

We can help reduce numbers by restricting their food supply and protecting our rubbish.

Wheeled bins will certainly help but some residents have drawn my attention to sprays that discourage seagulls.


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