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Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher has confirmed that the Waitaki District Council is preparing a request for Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage for an exemption to the Wildlife Act, to allow nests of protected species to be withdraw from the rooftops.
But for now, business and building owners are urged to ensure their roofs and gutters are clear of debris and nesting materials before nesting season, which generally runs from September through January.
Despite calls from some members of the public to euthanize the seagulls, Kircher did not believe it was necessary.
“What we need is the ability to remove nests,” he said.
Currently, once the nests were formed, they could not be removed as the birds were protected by the Wildlife Act, which “creates a problem for months,” Kircher said.
As part of the request, council staff were gathering information from business and building owners to show the extent of the problem.
“I used the evidence from all the other wildlife that we have that we generally happily coexist with.”
Kircher expected the application to be completed next week.
Ms. Sage said that red-billed gulls were native wildlife and “their populations are declining across the country.”
The Department of Conservation (Doc) was working with the Waitaki District Council and businesses on “proactive measures to reduce red-billed gull nesting and perching,” he said.
“I am aware of the problem and had a recent discussion on the matter with [Mr Kircher].
“Measures such as regular roof inspections and keeping the roof surface and gutters free of debris appear to have reduced the number of red-billed gulls that nest in buildings.”
Ranger Tom Waterhouse urged business and building owners to make sure their roofs were clear before the seagulls began nesting.
“It is also very important to clean up any food waste, garbage and garbage to keep downtown Oamaru from being attractive as a food source,” Waterhouse said.
Doc would continue to work with the Waitaki District Council and businesses on proactive measures to keep seagulls out of the central business district, he said.
“They may not be winning Oamaru’s vote for bird of the year, but red-billed gulls are a protected species that is in decline across the country,” Waterhouse said.
“Working together on ways to make Oamaru’s rooftops and streets less attractive is the best way to move them forward.”
