A seaside town says please don't feed the seagulls

Hunstanton Town Council is urging residents and visitors not to feed the gulls that have become overfamiliar and are known to snatch food from people's hands.

The initiative aims to address concerns about the negative impacts of feeding these birds, on the birds themselves, the environment and public safety. Gulls are protected species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Our largest species, the Herring Gull, has recently suffered from a rapid decline in the coastal population of around 39% over the last few years.

“We understand that feeding gulls can seem like a fun activity, but it has serious repercussions,” said Cllr. Robert Corby, (Environment chair HTC). “We urge everyone to enjoy the wildlife from a distance, gulls are a key part of our natural environment in Hunstanton, help them to thrive naturally and not become a nuisance by behaving responsibly with food”.

Gulls that are regularly fed by humans can lose their natural fear of humans. The result is they expect to be fed when they see humans eating, the birds become overfamiliar and in some cases, this may even include snatching food directly from people’s hands. This can lead to injuries and distress, particularly among children.

Human food is not the best diet for gulls and can cause health problems for the birds and feeding gulls disrupts their natural foraging behaviour, potentially leading to local overpopulation which can negatively affect other wildlife and the local ecosystem.

The council recommends visitors to enjoy the wildlife responsibly and reminds people that the young gulls fledge in August and it can be a joy to watch them learning to fly along the shoreline.