Moray communities ‘living in fear’ of seagull menace as MSP slams government response to plea for help
Moray residents will be “appalled” at a Scottish Government response to tackling the scourge of seagulls in the region, a local MSP has claimed.
Highlands and Islands MSP Douglas Ross has slammed SNP minister Jim Fairlie for a “tone-deaf” response after he questioned him on the growing problem of seagulls in the region.
The Conservative MSP used rural portfolio questions in the Scottish Parliament to call for urgent action to be taken to control the “menace” of the birds in the area, only to be met with an “astonishing” response from the SNP minister.
He went on to say that Mr Fairlie “passed the buck” and claimed that local authorities and businesses could more to deter gulls resting on their properties, adding that ways needed to be found to “co-habit” with the gulls.
Mr Ross stated that this flew in the face of a case he had raised which had happened in Elgin where an elderly woman was attacked outside her house by a seagull and ended up falling and breaking her leg. Her carer was also attacked when she went to check on her, while the elderly woman was shockingly the victim of another seagull attack after returning from hospital.
A result, he said, will be that those “living in fear” in Moray will have been “appalled” by the Minister’s response and says it simply cannot be left to communities and councils to tackle the issue themselves.
However, he did welcome his commitment to meet with a cross-party group of MSPs to discuss the issue and hopes that will happen as soon as possible.
Speaking after the debate, Mr Ross said: “Seagulls have been a persistent problem in Moray and people want to see urgent action taken to control the menace of these birds in the area.
“That’s why I wanted to challenge the SNP government over what they are planning to do, only to be met with a tone-deaf and astonishing response from the SNP minister.
“Jim Fairlie completely passed the buck and even tried to blame local authorities and businesses for not doing enough to deter the gulls and even learn to co-habit with them.
“How he could have responded in this way after I told him about a case of an elderly woman being attacked twice in Moray as well as her carer being attacked is beyond belief.
“Those living in fear of being attacked by gulls in Moray will have been appalled by his response and it must not be left to communities to fend for themselves.
“The only positive to come from the Minister was his agreement to my request to meet with concerned MSPs on this issue and I hope this meeting can take place as soon as possible.”
