Gulls are a high profile issue and increasingly urban property and areas need to be protected from the disruption and menace that gulls bring.
Effective gull control may involve the use of one or a combination of control or deterrent methods. The choice of an effective gull deterrent will depend on the environment, business and population size but most crucially timing. Due to legal requirements, measures should be in place before the gull breeding season begins in March each year or after the nesting season finishes in September.
Legislation & Gull Control
Whichever gull deterrent method is used it must be done legally. Gulls, like all UK birds, are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and it is illegal to remove their eggs and nests or disturb them once they have begun nesting. There are exceptions however, so gull control is possible under certain licence conditions depending on the risk, the gull species, the timing of the gull management plan and a individual license application being granted.