By Alistair Grant

Copyright scotsman

Communities across Scotland are to benefit from a new £100,000 fund to tackle disruptive seagull populations. SNP minister Jim Fairlie announced the move ahead of a special summit in Inverness aimed at addressing the impact of urban gulls. But Conservative MSP Douglas Ross, who has campaigned on the issue, dismissed the sum as “pitiful”. The summit will bring together local councillors, housing associations, business representatives, waste management organisations, community groups, scientific experts and the quango NatureScot. Mr Ross previously called it a “sham and a farce” and raised concerns the public and the media are being excluded. The new funding will come from NatureScot and will allow for deterrents, which could include the use of lasers, noise, roof spikes and netting designed to stop nesting. Get daily political analysis – subscribe for free to The Steamie Mr Fairlie, the agriculture minister, said: “The summit allows us to share practical solutions, learn from real-world examples and identify gaps in current policies to develop a coordinated approach. “We know that effective gull management often requires a range of solutions, particularly around litter management, which provides food sources. “Where public safety is at risk, NatureScot can issue control licences. Our focus now is on how we can prevent these issues from arising next year, with extra support provided and I look forward to seeing the projects that this additional funding will help. “By working directly with affected communities and expert advisors, we can ensure solutions are tailored to local circumstances with effective deterrents that make urban areas less attractive to gulls.” Professor Colin Galbraith, chair of NatureScot, said: “The evidence is clear that our gull populations are in decline. In some areas, gulls have adapted to the pressures they face – from climate change to food shortages and avian flu – by moving into our towns and cities in search of easier food and safe nest sites. “We understand that some urban areas are experiencing issues with gulls and that this can have an impact on people’s lives, especially during the nesting season. “While the debate on urban gulls has long centred on control through licensing, and that will undoubtedly remain part of the picture, it is important at the same time to look at the underlying reasons for any problems, including the availability of food and nest sites for the gulls in urban settings.” Mr Ross said: “This pitiful funding announcement sums up how detached SNP ministers are from the reality facing communities across Scotland. “Cash-strapped councils, organisations and community groups have already had to shell out thousands of pounds thanks to the inaction from SNP ministers in tackling menacing gulls, but nothing has changed and in many areas the problem is getting worse. “This will be more taxpayers’ money squandered if SNP ministers and quango bosses do not urgently change their approach.” The funding announcement comes just days after an SNP minister was forced to resign following a clash with Mr Ross around the issue. The Tory MSP had raised the seagull summit in Holyrood last week, holding up the final vote of the Scottish Government’s justice reforms legislation while victims were in the public gallery. Former parliamentary business minister Jamie Hepburn took issue with Mr Ross’s timing and the pair clashed as they left the chamber, with the former Scottish Tory leader claiming he was “physically assaulted and verbally abused” by the minister. Mr Hepburn denied the allegation of assault, but resigned on Friday, saying he had fallen short of his “personal code of practice”.