Council to ditch £27,000 hawks in 'major' seagull deterrent overhaul

East Ayrshire Council is set to retire the hawks brought in to deter seagulls around a number of its properties.

The council has allocated £27,000 to hire the hawks, but officers will ask councillors to agree to a major shift in its approach to dealing with the birds.

Rather than focusing on deterrence around specific council properties, officers have recommended the funding is used to work with residents and businesses on preventative measures.

The plan also includes a trial of gull-proof bins in Kilmarnock.

The report to the council states: “Gull-related complaints have declined in recent years and now focus on buildings that are not in council ownership.

“There are no regulatory powers available to the council to require action by other building owners to remove or deter gulls.

“Complaints peak when the young are in the nests, with adult gulls swooping to protect them. No action can be taken at this point in the breeding season once the eggs have hatched.

“The approach to gull management therefore needs to change to a proactive whole system approach, working with residents, businesses and property owners, who each have a role to play.

“It is proposed the £27,000 currently set aside for the hawk contractor is re-purposed for these preventative and whole system actions, which form the Gull Management Plan.”

The plan includes:

A ‘Proof your roof’ campaign; engaging building owners to appeal to them to
take preventative measures.
A ‘Don’t feed the birds’ campaign; informing residents and visitors that
dropping litter, particularly food waste, feeds the gulls and supports and
encourages the population.
The introduction of gull proof bins will also be a key strand of the new approach.

The report states the bins will make it more difficult for gulls to access their contents.

“Primarily, this is about preventing bins from becoming full between collections, through larger capacity, design and the introduction of technology, such as compaction.”

This will be trialled in the first instance in six locations within Kilmarnock town centre which, if successful, could be rolled out across other communities.

Similarly, a trial of ‘gull proof sacks’ for businesses will also be undertaken.

Birds are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, making it illegal to
capture, injure or destroy any wild bird, or interfere with its eggs or nest.

Legislation does allow for action against three types of gulls, Herring, Black Backed and Lesser Black Backed, with a licence available to destroy eggs or nests were there are public health issues.

This must also be a ‘last resort’.

If this is carried out without a licence, the offender can be fined up to £5k or even go to jail for up to six months.

East Ayrshire Council has engaged a hawk contractor since the early 2010s to
undertake the deterrent element of gull management.

The report explains: “In terms of a general deterrent, the hawk’s effectiveness is limited due to the extension of gull protections during the nesting period and extends only to deterring roosting while the hawks are present.

“Conversely, the use of the hawks continues to be effective in meeting relevant licence requirements at recycling/waste management centres.

“Gull-related complaints have declined in recent years and now focus on buildings that are not in council ownership. There are no regulatory powers available to the council to require action by other building owners to remove or deter gulls.”

The report will be considered by council on Thursday.