FOI Request - Deterrents to Manage Gulls

Request 101003706960

Last year it was reported that Moray Council had invested in deterrents to manage gulls.

Could you confirm:

1.  How successful has this project been in the last year?

2.  What is the total cost to the council of this project?

3.  In the last five years, what is the total cost to the council is dealing with gulls?

Response 19-02-2025

1. As expected, the Gull season in 2024 was more onerous than the previous year due to tighter guidelines and interpretation of license conditions when granted from NatureScot. All deterrents possible were used; that included sonic deterrents, hawking, lasering, human disturbance and disturbance with trained dogs. Licence approval waiting times increased, with average waiting times usually longer than two weeks, which in some instances was longer than the incubation period of 21-26 days, that meant chicks in some cases had already hatched and therefore no action could be taken after a licence was granted.

18 sonic scarer devices were located throughout Moray for 12 weeks during the nesting/breeding season  (15 in the Elgin Area and 1 in Forres , Lossiemouth and Mosstodloch). All sonics devices placed were found to be effective in all areas, reducing the number of nests built by specifically Herring Gulls and the amount of activity in these areas. The sonic devices, along with lasering, hawking and drone work, is estimated to have brought the numbers of successful gull nests down by between 60% and 80%. It was found that a high number of nests with eggs in direct proximity of the sonic devices were addled (eggs were not viable and did not hatch), which will also assist reduce herring gulls’ numbers in future years.  

Although overall nest and egg removal increased (106 nests and 150 eggs removed under licence throughout Moray ), these were mainly out with sonic device locations and predominantly in Buckie/Keith areas where no other deterrents were put in place. Out of 54 Nature Scot licences applied for, 53 were granted.  

2. £367,344 over the last 6 years

3. 

2024 - £105,473*
2023 – £96,219*
2022 - £87,821*
2021 – £36,304
2020 – £33,444
2019 - £8,083

*Includes Council Housing (HRA), no measure carried out before 2022)