Thursday January 29th 2026
Photo by Don Coombex (Unsplash)
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
A gull-lover in Eyemouth has a flock of 80 birds that they feed twice a day, it has emerged.
The revelation came as members of Scottish Borders Council backed a motion that a public consultation is launched gauge support for a by-law banning the feeding of gulls in the seaside town.
East Berwickshire Independent councillor James Anderson, who submitted the motion, stressed it was not aimed at folk who just “chuck chips at a seagull”.
He said: “A bylaw would help officers to look at the really difficult situations where individuals are feeding a large number of gulls and it is causing a lot of problems locally.
“I’m not proposing that we get a bylaw in which anybody who chucks a chip at a seagull on the gantry suddenly gets a £60 fine, that’s not what this is about.
“It’s not about asking officers to heavily police the public but it is about giving officers the authority they need to deal with a small number of cases where they can’t get any forward traction in resolving the issues.
“For example, there is one individual who has amassed over the last seven years a flock of 80 seagulls just across from a primary school in my ward.
“I didn’t believe that was possible by feeding gulls twice a day until I went there and it was feeding time, so significant problems do exist and we really need to give SBC officers the powers to address it.”
Seconding the motion, Councillor Drummond Begg, Liberal Democrat for Tweeddale West, added: “Gulls are beautiful but wild animals, they are opportunists and will take advantage of whatever food they can find.
“Snatching food is a behaviour that gulls have learned and is reinforced every time they are fed by the public.”
There has been growing concern at the issue of the birds swooping for food in Eyemouth.
During one month in the summer of 2024, seven children were attacked in separate incidents outside the same town food outlet
There have also been issues in nearby tourist destinations, including Coldingham and St Abbs.
Changes to coastal habitats and a reduction in natural sources of food have been blamed for more and more gulls moving into built-up areas.
Safer nesting and discarded human food are also considered to be factors in more birds settling in towns and villages.
Meanwhile, NatureScot is about to launch a public awareness campaign in a bid to discourage feeding gulls.
Scottish Borders Council used the oiling of eggs as a pest-control measure on nesting gulls in Eyemouth, but the practice was stopped before the Covid pandemic.
By-laws to criminalise the feeding of gulls have been introduced in parts of East Devon, North Yorkshire and Suffolk.
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