Scientist at environmental agency
blame droppings by the birds for poor water quality
A surge in seagull droppings is
fouling up the water at a popular Dublin beach, according to Ireland’s
Environmental Protection Agency.
Peter Webster, a senior scientist
at the EPA, said that seagull droppings were a significant contributory factor
to the poor water quality at Merrion Strand beach in the south of the Irish
capital.
“We have a possible combination
of impacts from surface waters but also from an increasing number of seagull
droppings on a daily basis,” he told Newstalk Radio following the release of
the agency’s annual report into bathing water quality on Tuesday. “Seagull poo
has 10 times more bacteria than human poo.”
The proliferation of seagulls has
wreaked havoc in Dublin in recent years. Last July, senator Denis O’Donovan
called for a cull of the “vicious” birds, branding them a danger to society.
Residents frequently complain of
being woken by the birds, particularly during the nesting season from early
summer, and Irish media has featured countless tales of birds swooping on
outdoor eating areas to take food from diners and throwing litter around the
streets raids on garbage bags.
However, seagulls and their nests
are currently protected by national and European regulations, which would
appear to rule out a cull.
