‘PM calls for ‘big conversation’ about aggressive seagulls

The Prime Minister has called for a ‘big conversation’ on tackling aggressive seagulls following a spate of attacks on people and animals.
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David Cameron said he wanted to take action after discussing the issue with Conservative MPs in Cornwall.

Seagulls killed a family’s pet dog in Newquay this week while in Liskeard a tortoise was pecked to death.

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MPs in Cornwall are calling for the protected status of seagulls to be axed so their population in urban areas in seaside towns can be controlled.

Because seagulls are a protected species, their nests cannot be interfered with.

In his March budget, Chancellor George Osborne pledged £250,000 for research into ‘aggressive’ gulls. However, the project was dropped after May’s General Election.

Some species of gull, including the herring gull, have witnessed a decline in overall population in recent years. But their numbers have risen in some towns.

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Speaking on BBC Radio Cornwall this week, Mr Cameron said: “I think this is a very difficult subject and I think it is a dangerous one for the Prime Minister to dive in and come up with an instant answer with the issues of the protection of seagulls, whether there is a need for a cull, what should be done about eggs and nests and the rest of it.

“I think a big conversation needs to happen about this and frankly the people we need to listen to are people who really understand this issue and the potential effects it is having.”

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