Food waste is a good thing…..

….if you are a Seagull.

Not that is such a thing as a “seagull”, because they are found inland just as much as the sea. Essentially, gulls are water birds, primarily pale in plumage, with a sharp, multi-purpose bill and webbed feet. They fly supremely well, and can swim and walk capably, making them ideal all-rounders.

The Gull population has been linked to man’s activities for centuries. Up until 100 years ago, Gannets, Puffins and Guillemots were staple foods for many offshore islands around Britain. Things got out of hand and human predation caused the extinction of the Great Auk, and by the mid 19^th century it was clear that many sea bird populations were on the decline.

However, eating gulls fell out of fashion and during the Second World War the reduction in fishing due to attacks on fishing fleets and the conversion of trawlers into mine sweepers allowed an explosion in fish populations and a boost in gull numbers.

This continued after the war as food rationing was relaxed and food waste appeared on the menu. The big boost came with the 1956 Clean Air Act. Domestic rubbish was no longer permitted to be burned and landfill became the preferred option.

Since then times have not been so good. In a short space of time we managed to plunder our off shore fish stocks. Fish guts are no longer thrown away at sea but are retained for use as fish meal. You are now more likely to see gulls following a tractor ploughing a field than a fishing boat.

In 1995 we started to focus on food recycling so that less and less is making it through to landfill. The use of wheelie bins and bird proof sacks has also cut off a food source which birds could plunder from polythene bin bags.

As a result Gull populations have dropped by 30-40% from their peak and are continuing to decline. Let’s hope that they find a way to survive - just in case we have to revert to eating them again.