Don’t feed the seagulls
Seagulls are increasingly common in town centres around New Zealand these days, including Blenheim.
Everyone has a responsibility to try to deter gulls and pigeons - café patrons should not leave food unattended. Building owners are responsible for maintaining their properties and many have installed spikes and other protective measures. Council uses an electromagnetic deterrent at Te Kahu o Waipuna library/art gallery and carries out regular footpath cleaning throughout the Blenheim and Picton CBDs.
Council also provides wheelie bins to all CBD businesses which means rubbish bags are no longer left on the street for gulls to get into.
DOC is responsible for native bird protection - red billed and black billed gulls are both nationally ‘at risk, declining’ species.
