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To cull or not to cull?

Ioan
Cull them! The noise, the fouling, etc.. all part of sharing space with animals. But when they start attacking, no way should we tolerate it! In Llandudno, I was attacked by 4 massive seasguls that literally tore a sandwhich out of my hands! AND, I then got told off for "feeding" them! They are too wild and too agressive.

Smithy
I am one of "those" people with a second home in Aldeburgh, and yes they are a pain with their early morning noise, but i'm unsure about culling them. I have also lived in Teignmouth, Devon where I had an early morning job and then I really would have appreciated a cull!

Piper
Cull the tourists..there the menace in Whitby.Constant feeding of the gulls has created the problem!

Bob
Seriously doubt the culling of an Alde/Ore SPA species and a viable option. I would expect Natural England to object.

David
Have we done a study on the disruption of human life by wildlife? More watste of time. Dont feed the gulls and they will go elsewhaere for natural food.

James
It's lovely to see that Councillor Bill Richardson is an ornithologist with a forte for gull biology. Gulls only have one brood per annum. They also do not always come back to the same site. Given that some species of gull such as the Herring Gull are actually on the Amber list of Birds of Conservation Concern due to sharp population declines is this really a wise move? If the gulls had no food source then they'd go away, but that would mean the human inhabitants of Aldeburgh would have to have increased hygiene. Finally if you buy an expensive property by the sea then you should contend with the problems - it's all the same from these people - "cull the gulls" and make the other taxpayers pay for sea defences. There is never a sensible middle ground.

DEREK SNASHALL
Leave the birds alone , feed them anytime you like , who are we to say lets kill them they are becoming pests? The biggest and most damaging pests on this planet are Humans.

c stewart
these birds have taken over our towns and streets they can be very aggresive and unhygenic they belong on the cliffs

Rowley Elliston
The increase in the gull population in the last 50 years can be largely attributed to the increase in refuse and garbage produced by humans. Clean up and and there will be fewer gulls.

Ian
Cull them quickly. They may a hurt a small child one day, maybe yours or your granchildren! Mmmm what was that film called by Alfred Hitchcock!

Jackson Pillock
I live in Ipswich near Tracey M and i'd like to see her culled

Bill Richardson
I've been mis-quoted in this article. I like gulls. They're lovely, intelligent creatures. Can we not put up more nesting platforms for them and encourage more to breed in our towns?

Colin Gull, Ipswich
I disagree with Tracey M. There are not too many gulls in our towns there are too many people!

Jag, Suffolk
'simon m' may have a high power air rifle but he hasn't got a great command of English spelling or grammar. God bless the education system in our country!

Jeff H, Ipswich
Gulls are great! Leave them be and enjoy them for the spectacle they are. Britain is too sanitised as it is. If people can't cope with a few gulls maybe they should stay indoors and watch Neighbours.

simon m
definatly, i got brutelly attacked in llandudno whist eating a butty, i,ve got a high power air rifle if you need a hand

cathy
yes the gulls should be culled as my neighbours feed them and it is terribe to go outside the door when they are being fed i live in clacton and it is terrible here .

arlin
we are over populating aswell we eat lots of food making animals extinct for fur shouldnt there be an annual human culling if animal culling is allowed?

Barry Clark, Bury St. Edmunds
Twenty-five grand on biscuits! I bet that does not go on their tax returns. The money could go on school dinners. Oh yes shoot the gulls. A pigeon cull in Suffolk is well overdue too judging by the regular pooping my car and windows get.

Em
Be very careful here. If we are to cull creatures for the mere fact that they have been allowed to become a nuisance, then when does the human cull begin?? Surely it is much better to watch seagulls in their own habitat, doing what seagulls do - scavange, than it is to be scared to walk through the streets of any town or village for fear of being attacked by humans! If we are not allowed to cull nuisance human beings, then leave the creatures alone. Humans have encouraged these gulls to change their habits. Stop feeding them titbits and they will soon revert to their proper feeding habits. Let's sort out the problems caused by humans and stop blaming the birds and animals for our shortcomings.

david thorpe
last year I was in Cornwall and the gulls were attacking visitors snatching any thing they were carrying I think an initial cull is needed and then further measures taken as needed

Stephen Dean
Gulls are highly adaptable creatures and the ones that are causing problems in towns and cities throughout the UK are mainly Herring Gulls and Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Provide them with a source of food (like a rubbish dump, a tractor and plough turning up worms or people throwing their fish and chips to them) and they'll exploit it. Take the food supply away - in this case, being fed by people - and they'll stop being a nuisance. If a cull is approved (which would require a licence from Defra because unlicenced destruction of most wild birds is illegal) it would need to involve tampering with the birds' eggs to stop them from hatching, rather than shooting or trapping the birds (which no holidaymaker or day-tripper is going to want to see) because, apart from anything else, you need to know which species to control and telling one species of gull from another is not always easy. At least if they're nesting you know which ones to concentrate your attention on. If people don't want to be bothered by gulls it's best to enjoy your delicious Aldeburgh fish 'n' chips under cover so the gulls can't descend on you from above, not to throw any scraps to them and to dispose of any leftovers responsibly. If you want to watch gulls in their true element just pop up the road to Sizewell where you can regularly see at least six different species feeding near the outfall rig. See how many you can identify - hours of fun!

Tracey M
I live in Ipswich and have been woken at 3am in the morning by seagulls. There are too many of them in towns and they should be culled.

Bill Humphrey
I do NOT think the Gulls should be culled.