Sir - It’s hard to believe that it’s nearly twenty years since Eric Cantona said,

'When seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.'

His remarks baffled many people but he was 100% correct. Gulls do follow sources of food. What else can they do? Eric’s remark was about the press pack looking for tit bits of news.

Your article on 5th September is even more baffling than Cantona’s comments in 1995.

On one hand, you say that the population has decreased from 700 pairs to 320 pairs.

But, on the other hand, you say that it may rise seven-fold by 2020. So, in six years, it will be 2,000 pairs (4,000 birds). They will double every year?

I don’t know who is measuring and predicting. What made the numbers fall since 2007 and now double every year?

Another statistic. Dropped food ( you say) is one of the reasons that gulls like the city. This is in a city where food banks increase? And where obesity is the main health challenge?

The City doesn't want to be like St Ives! What? This small town is a hugely attractive tourist magnet. But it has a fishing industry ( with trawlers) and untidy tourists too. Gulls are well fed there.

Gulls, swans, seals and badgers; all wildlife gets a hard time in our county. Let’s not just to dismiss wild birds as “blasted things”. We are the problem; not them.

Gerry Taggart

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