But what is "the real problem?" It sounds to me like it's something natural - I don't see the hand of man in this, unless I'm missing something - what is there to fix?
I think nature either needs to harden the backs of local whales through evolution, or give them poison in their flesh or something. lol. Maybe Argentine authorities can armor the whales backs instead of killing bird. Hahaha.
This is so hilarious, though. What else are they going to come up with?
I love the last line in the article:
"So, if you've ever been hit on by a seagull and want your revenge, now's a good time to move to Argentina."
Maybe one of the few reasons, even at a stretch, to do so at this time?
Read somewhere that they would be sending some SWAT type group snipers: GEOP(?). Nonsensical. Normally they can't afford to buy/shoot ammo and now they'll have to go to a bleak spot and start practicing on mean birds?
What a shitty job! They're supposed to bring down the aggressive ones only.
But what is "the real problem?" It sounds to me like it's something natural - I don't see the hand of man in this, unless I'm missing something - what is there to fix?
The seagulls are probably breeding out of control due to being fed unnaturally by local fishermen (not on purpose).
The gulls in Edinburgh could wolf down kebabs and pizzas. Apparently in Cardiff its a sport to watch the women fighting gulls protecting their chips n cheese after a night out!
Rather than hunting them they should just go down with a hawk and scare them away, Edinburgh council at one point hired hawk handlers to move the gulls back to the coast!
Read an article that trash being dumped into open air landfills are to cause for the rise in seagull populations. Also read that the authorities are working on fixing that issue as well.
In NW Europe Waste Landfill areas became major nesting areas for Herring Gulls and similar in last 50 years due to long term pressure on traditional nesting areas and feeding grounds with overfishing in adjacent coastal waters. Now that landfill reduction is taking hold even more pressure on these bird species.
Herring gulls are large, noisy gulls found throughout the year around our coasts and inland around rubbish tips, fields, large reservoirs and lakes, especially during winter. .... They have suffered moderate declines over the past 25 years and over half of their UK breeding population is confined to fewer than ten sites. Where to see them ... Herring gulls are widespread and can easily be seen at virtually any seaside town in the breeding season, and inland all year round, especially at rubbish tips, playing fields and reservoir roosts.
So no surprise to hear that "unusual" behaviour of gulls on Argentine Atlantic coasts. Expect them to be migrating inland also.
Reason for gulls suddenly appearing on man's latest "pest list" simply is because they are starving - adaptive behaviour looking for unusual new food sources (hardly an easy or dependable food source trying to grab a meal off the back of a surfacing whale)
Somewhat ironic but no less adaptive behaviour than what you can observe closer to home in the streets of Buenos Aires every evening
And the predictable fingerpointing "arnt the Argies stupid (again)" is a comfortable prejudice on this board when plenty of equally stupid reactions can be found elsewhere