Residents and visitors alike are being urged not to feed the seagulls in three East Yorkshire seaside towns.
It comes as East Riding of Yorkshire Council has erected signs in Bridlington, Hornsea and Withernsea to reinforce the message of not giving food to seabirds. This prevents them becoming pets and encourages them to return to their nearby natural habitat.
The signs have been placed at more than 30 locations around the three seafront areas, on lampposts, picnic benches, in car parks and at bus stops to get the message across to visitors and local residents. Similar posters will also be handed out to local takeaways in a bid to reach their customers.
According to the council, the new warnings have been put in place because:
- Feeding seagulls harms their health. Research has shown that eating human food, such as fish and chips, negatively impacts the health of seabirds, leading to the development of smaller chicks and higher mortality rates.
- It encourages them to steal food and waste – they will scavenge any food left alone or not put in waste bins properly.
- It makes seagulls aggressive towards people. There are many reports of gulls ‘mugging’ people for their food. That habit is driven by people actively feeding them or throwing leftovers to them.
- The droppings they leave behind are harmful to human health.
Councillor Barbara Jefferson, the council’s cabinet member for heritage and coastal, said: “We are politely asking people to please not feed the seagulls because we want them to return to their natural environment and eat their natural diet.
“We want to make our seaside towns much more pleasant places and encourage people not to turn these wonderful birds into a nuisance.”
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