Should Jersey Law Continue to Protect Seagulls?

Should Seagulls Still Be Protected Under Jersey Law?

In St Helier and parks across Jersey, seagulls are often blamed for stealing food and disturbing families. But while many see them as a nuisance, the birds remain protected under the Conservation of Wildlife (Jersey) Law 2000.

Six types of gulls regularly breed in the British Isles, and though their presence on rooftops suggests they are thriving, experts say coastal populations are falling. Rising sea temperatures, shifting fish stocks, and overfishing have pushed many inland, where they have adapted to scavenge around people.

Public frustration grows

For some parents, the issue is becoming personal.

Claire O’Connor recalls how her daughter was bitten by a gull while eating an ice cream.

“She’s quite nervous around seagulls now,” she said. “I wouldn’t say they’re endangered. We have a lot of them. It would be nice to control them, just to keep parks safer.”

Jessica Langtree, who has two young children, describes gulls as “a pest.”

“If a dog swooped on people the way seagulls do, we’d all have an issue with it,” she argued. “There should be better prevention in areas like parks.”

Alex Taylor also worries about her children.

“It feels as if gulls are becoming more confident,” she said. “One even scratched my daughter’s face while taking her ice cream. It didn’t scar her for life, but it wasn’t pleasant.”

Feeding wild birds in Jersey carries a fine of up to £1,000, yet gulls are often seen gathering around cafes, bins and outdoor dining spots where food is easy to find.

The government’s stance

Jersey’s Environment Minister, Deputy Steve Luce, acknowledges the frustration but says legal protection remains essential.

“Gulls are still in decline,” he said. “Numbers don’t need to be controlled, but people shouldn’t feed them. Once they get used to being fed, they can become aggressive, and that leads to problems.”

By law, gulls, their nests, eggs and chicks cannot be harmed or destroyed. Only licensed pest controllers are permitted to intervene in limited cases where public health or safety is at risk.

Experts warn of decline

Ornithologist Mick Dryden believes public perception of an overpopulation is misleading.

“Herring gulls are down to about 35% of what they were in the 1990s,” he explained. “They don’t fish at sea, they scavenge, and because Jersey is such a clean island, there’s little waste food for them.”

Dryden added that only a small minority exhibit the food-snatching behaviour that makes headlines, and that constant disturbance on beaches—particularly from dogs—further reduces their ability to feed.

The debate continues

As families call for greater control and experts highlight long-term decline, the question remains: should seagulls in Jersey continue to enjoy full legal protection, or is it time to rethink how we live alongside them?