Brian Holden: Cull the gulls, I say

I don't believe it, I've just seen an article where the Department of Conservation declares that the common red-billed seagull is a threatened species. Surely not.

Staff at Dunedin's albatross colony are becoming increasingly frustrated with thousands of seagulls roosting at the Taiaroa Heads and pooping everywhere.

Getting rid of their corrosive droppings is turning into a nightmare, with the locals having to hose their cars down daily, not to mention their paths and outdoor furniture.

And with breeding season under way, the addition of 1000 new chicks will mean more gigantic amounts of guano covering everything.

I cannot believe seagulls are on the endangered species list and if so, endangered by what?

They are rapidly growing in number and becoming a nuisance of pest-like proportions, having ballooned in population at the Heads in the past decade.

Agreed, a beach would not be a beach without the squawk of the seagull, but on opening up sandwiches or fish and chips after sitting at a table, the appeal quickly disappears.

Surely common sense has to prevail and culling should be done to keep them to a reasonable number.

If these scavenging, selfish and greedy birds were to be given half a chance, they would take over the planet.