‘He spoke of very simple things – that it is right for a gull to fly, that freedom is the very nature of his being, that whatever stands against that freedom must be set aside, be it ritual or superstition or limitation in any form.’
Quote from ‘Johnathan Livingston Seagull: A Story ’– by Richard Bach- Macmillan Publishers
Breaking news! A letter was delivered this week onto the desk of George Eustice MP at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) on behalf of all the caring people who have signed this petition. Please do consider signing and sharing the petition using the link below if you haven’t already. Whilst waiting for a formal response to the letter will you email DEFRA or your own political representative using the text and contact details below.Thank you!
Let’s together stop the deaths and injuries to birds that rooftop bird deterrent mesh netting and metal spikes cause.
I started this petition after seeing a dead Herring Gull seemingly killed by bird deterrent spikes on a rooftop. Herring Gulls are not the only rooftop birds affected by the bird deterrents. For example Kittiwakes are affected too and like Herring Gulls are red listed as of conservation concern.The Lesser Black-backed Gull is also on the amber list and swallows and swifts may now be declining. Rooftop birds like gulls, pigeons, birds of prey, crows, swifts and swallows are all vulnerable to being injured or killed by the netting & spikes.
This week's magnificent gull image from Cornwall was very kindly donated by ©Debbie Geraghty. She jokingly calls her beautiful images bird activists :-). They most certainly are! So many amazing people have been helping this petition by signing and sharing. Reminder: Please will you kindly email a letter to your own political representative using the text and contact details below? It will be a huge help!
A helpful Scottish pest controller shared with me that he has tried to help 20 gulls and more than 100 pigeons and even swifts locally to him caught in rooftop netting in the last year, whilst an animal rescuer in England also reported regular deaths of gulls caught in netting.
Please sign and share this petition or better still take a few minutes to send an email to DEFRA or email/tweet/post a Facebook message to your local politician (Action 2 and 3. below).
Help to save a seagull, pigeon, swallow or swift
Action 1: Sign and share the petition using the link below. Why not consider supporting the petition financially to help it grow?
Action 2: Copy, paste and then email the letter text below to your local politician or prioritize sending one to George Eustice at DEFRA.
Action 3: Tweet or leave messages on the Facebook pages of your local MP, MS or MSP with your own message about stopping the cruelty caused by rooftop bird deterrents.
#NoToBirdSpikes #BanBirdNetting #ReduceBirdDeterrents #TwitterNatureCommunity #Biodiversity #GullsAreGreat #ClimateAction #PigeonsDeserveBetter #Nature
Email the short letter text below to George Eustice, MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs email: george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or email: defra.hotline@defra.uk or email your own personal letter.
If you prefer email your local councillor, MP, MS or MSP to get them on board.
Important: Remember to change who you address it to, keep it short and include your address and contact details.
Contact details of all local representatives can be found at writetothem.com
Wales: Minister responsible for this issue is now Lee Waters MS, Deputy Minister of Climate Change Correspondence. email: lee.waters@gov.wales
Scotland: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport. (Use above website for representatives).
Here is the suggested text for the letter..
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Dear Rt Hon George Eustice MP,
Reduce the use of cruel bird deterrents on buildings
I write to you to ask you to speak up for rooftop birds and urban wildlife. In the face of the climate and biodiversity crises ahead of this autumn’s proposed COP26 meeting in Glasgow, please make a commitment to review and legislate to ensure a reduction in the use cruel bird deterrent measures such as mesh netting and metal bird spikes on buildings.
I am alarmed many declining or even red listed birds are injured or killed as a result of the cruel deterrent measures on rooftops in the UK. Despite current methods to ensure ‘humane’ control of birds causing ‘nuisance’, wildlife rescue centres, pest controllers and roofers are reporting slow, lingering deaths or injuries to declining and common bird species.
Sadly birds affected include red or amber listed gull species, birds of prey, and declining migratory species such as swallows and swifts.
Faced with the climate and biodiversity crises, it would be timely to better understand and reassess our relationship with urban nature species, including rooftop and common birds by reconsidering how they are treated in our towns. The definition of bird nuisance could be better nuanced so inappropriate use of bird deterrents is designed out. Since the use of bird deterrents crosses many areas of administration it would be helpful to focus on stamping out cruelty and species loss by action across agencies rather than simply focusing on reducing bird nuisance.
Please stand up for urban wildlife. In particular commit to a new vision for our diverse rooftop bird species and ensure urban wildlife crimes are followed up and prosecuted.
The recent report from the IPCC and IPBES made clear ‘- every local nature-based biodiversity solution in our cities and towns matter as they accumulate together on a global scale’. Changing public and industry behaviours on how we treat our urban wildlife can help mitigate the interrelated crises of biodiversity and climate change. It will also importantly help accelerate collective action by the community.
I trust you will put a stop the cruel bird deterrent measuresand fully support this collective campaign.
Yours sincerely
(Your Signature)
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Why can’t we live together with urban nature? Our cities and homes can become a place FOR nature rather than WITHOUTnature.
Together we can leave a functioning planet behind for our children. Let’s include the squawking gulls, cooing pigeons and other common birds of our rooftops.
Be a Rooftop Bird Activist…
Ramp up the pressure by emailing your political representatives.
Join the Facebook group: Rooftop Bird Club
If you have photographic evidence of injury or deathto birds caused by bird deterrents please consider sharing photos with the petition link on social media with your reaction and the relevant hashtags.If you are on Twitter do DM me at @joboxer12 or via Messenger.
Any helpful ideas, research or contacts please DM at @joboxer12 or at the Rooftop Bird Club.
Let’s go for free bird gold! Please keep this petition soaring and even consider supporting it financially to reach more views online. Thank you!