Craig Hoy MSP for South Scotland has raised the concerns of East Lothian residents about nuisance gulls in the Scottish Parliament.
Mr Hoy spoke during a debate brought forward by his Scottish Conservative colleague Douglas Ross MSP, which highlighted growing issues with aggressive gulls across Scotland – and the impact of changes to NatureScot’s licensing regime.
Mr Hoy used the debate to highlight specific problems in East Lothian.
Speaking in the debate Mr Hoy said: “In East Lothian, for example, towns such as Dunbar and North Berwick are facing relentless problems during nesting season. I have heard from residents who feel as though they are under siege and are, rightly, calling for a more robust and practical use of licences to tackle the scourge of gulls.
"As Mr Ruskell made clear, those problems can be made worse by residents’ behaviour. For example, in North Berwick, one resident feeds the seagulls, which causes huge disturbance, noise and inevitable mess for neighbouring properties. Apparently, East Lothian Council is powerless to intervene.”
Mr Hoy is calling on NatureScot to issue more licences – returning to pre-2023 levels – to allow better control of gulls and not leave local authorities completely powerless.
Speaking after the debate, he said: “NatureScot has cut the number of licences by around 75% and that’s having a real impact on councils and communities who are trying to manage this serious issue.
“In East Lothian, residents are fed up with feeling overrun by large aggressive gulls. They shouldn’t have to live in fear of being attacked or plan their daily routes around nests.
“Gulls are of course part of coastal life – but the balance has tipped, and it’s time for the Scottish Government and NatureScot to step in and take meaningful action to prevent more attacks.”
Todays gulls are larger and more aggressive because of easy access to fast food.