Residents and visitors to the East Riding’s seaside resorts are being urged not to feed seabirds, as new signs put up in the towns aim to reinforce the message.
East Riding Council has put up the signs in Hornsea, Withernsea and Bridlington to urge people not to give food to gulls to prevent them becoming pests and encourage 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.
The new warnings have been put in place because:
- Feeding gulls 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 gulls 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.
The clear message is to not to feed seagulls any type of food and to dispose of food properly in litter bins provided, wrapped up if possible and not able to spill out.
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.”