A MEMBER of the public fears seagulls are being deliberately targeted after a group of five dead birds were found in a car park.
The dead seagulls were spotted this lunchtime on a car park near to the pond by Liberata across from Andrews Way in Barrow. The birds were spotted by a member of the public who told The Mail she fears they have been deliberately killed.
All species of gull are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
This makes it illegal to intentionally recklessly injure or kill any gull or damage or destroy an active nest or its contents.
Some local authorities attempt to control the numbers of urban gulls by egg-oiling or nest destruction. Since urban gull populations are still increasing, these actions do not appear to have the desired effect.
As long as there are suitable nest sites and available food, random nest destruction alone is unlikely to work, since the birds will simply re-nest either in the same place or somewhere nearby.
The Mail has contacted the RSPCA and Cumbria Wildlife Trust for a comment.
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