An elderly woman broke her leg in a seagull attack and was once again targeted when she returned home from hospital, MSPs have heard.
Former Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross told Holyrood the Elgin woman was left “fearful of leaving her home” as he urged the agriculture minister to tackle the “growing problem” of gull attacks across the country.
Mr Ross said Moray Council had spent “hundreds of thousands of pounds” on the issue “to no effect”.
NatureScot told Sky News it was working with several local authorities ahead of the 2025 breeding season in an effort to support a “more coordinated approach to gull management” across a number of town and centre centres, including Elgin.
Speaking during topical questions at the Scottish parliament on Wednesday, Mr Ross said: “Elgin councillor Peter Bloomfield told me about a case of an elderly resident who left her bungalow, was attacked by a gull, fell over and broke her leg.
“Her carer then came outside and was also attacked by the gull.
“When this elderly resident returned home from hospital she was attacked again and then was fearful of leaving her home at all.”
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Rachael Hamilton, deputy leader of the Scottish Tories and MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, added that gulls in Eyemouth had attacked children and were a “blight on businesses who are currently trying to trade in difficult conditions”.
Mr Ross, who previously described seagulls as a “nuisance at best, and a real danger at worst”, urged agriculture minister Jim Fairlie to accept it is a “growing problem” in communities across the nation as he questioned what measures could be taken to tackle the issue.
Mr Fairlie responded that all wild birds in the UK and Europe are protected by law “and they should remain so”.
He highlighted NatureScot can provide licences for lethal control where there are issues of public health safety.
Mr Fairlie added: “I appreciate that gulls can be a serious nuisance in urban areas but the answer is not to allow free reign to kill those birds, especially when overall numbers of gulls, taking natural and urban populations together, are actually in decline.”
To alleviate the issue, the minister urged local authorities and property owners to do more to deter gulls from nesting on their properties.
He added: “I absolutely get the fact that urban gulls are a problem but killing them and giving licences out willy-nilly is not the answer.”
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In August last year, the Scottish SPCA issued an appeal after a seagull was rescued from a glue trap in Aberdeen.
The animal welfare charity has long been opposed to the use of glue traps, which are trays coated with a sticky adhesive typically used to ensnare rodents and animals classed as vermin.
In 2024, the Scottish parliament passed the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill – making it illegal to buy or possess the traps.
The use of glue traps is also banned in England and Wales, but the sale is not.
NatureScot accepted gulls can “sometimes cause issues in our towns and cities” but its licensing team was on hand to provide advice and assistance.
The Scottish government agency added: “This can include issuing same-day licences in cases where elderly or vulnerable people are being impacted by dive bombing gulls nesting on roofs.”
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Last year, NatureScot updated its guidance for gull licensing in response to “significant and serious declines” in gull populations.
Common gull, great black-backed gull and herring gull are now all red-listed species of conservation concern in the UK, while lesser black-backed gull and black-headed gull are amber-listed.
NatureScot said the declines are attributed to factors such as changes in food availability and land use, as well as recent outbreaks of avian flu.
NatureScot added: “Ahead of the 2025 gull breeding season, we are working with several local authorities to look at how we can support a more coordinated approach to gull management across a number of town and city centres, including Elgin.
“The focus is on advising on preventative measures, deterrents and guidance for local authority staff, business owners and the public, with licenced control measures being used as a last resort when there is a risk to public health and safety.
“We also provide advice on management plans to ensure they will be effective in tackling gull issues.
“While individuals can and should continue to take action to deter gulls on land and buildings within their control, a wider coordinated approach will often be more effective.”
