Burnham-On-Sea, Berrow and Brean residents and visitors are being urged not to feed seagulls this spring and summer in a bid to improve sea water quality and avoid attacks by birds.
A new campaign has been launched by Litter Free Coast & Sea Somerset this week that aims to decrease marine litter in Burnham-On-Sea and improve bathing water quality.
The campaign aims to raise awareness of the consequences of feeding seagulls – and the ever increasing amounts of seagull waste.
Coastal Community Officer Tanya Cox, right, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “If you decide to have a picnic or a cheeky fish and chips along the coast, please remember not to feed them.”
“Not only are gulls dangerous when they dive, but they end up pooing in the sea where we swim and paddle. The Environment Agency routinely measure the amount of ‘bad’ bacteria in bathing waters to determine how clean they are, and bird poo can be one source of these harmful bacteria.”
“Tips on avoiding a gull attack include keeping food close to you and eating with your back against a wall – this makes it much harder for them to dive on you, or sneak up behind you.”
“Also, bin any unwanted food in bins provided; make sure your rubbish goes all the way in and can’t be pulled out again by greedy gulls; and take your plates back inside the café or restaurant when you’ve finished. Please don’t actively feed gulls.”
