Inverness ‘Seagull Summit’ secrecy - Scottish Government ‘running scared’ by putting meeting at NatureScot in private
Scottish ministers and NatureScot have been accused of “running scared” from the public and perpetrating a serious “stitch-up and a sham” over a secretive summit focused on gulls.
Highland MSPs, the public and media have not been invited to next week’s meeting. Concerns regarding the dangers of gull attacks have been highlighted in Holyrood by Inverness and Nairn MSP Fergus Ewing and Highland MSP Douglas Ross, in response to issues raised by communities and businesses.
Also, a census document on gulls - ordered by Highland Council - has been kept under wraps for the last two months and there are no plans to release it until AFTER the summit on September 23.
Inverness BID has been exasperated by the Highland capital-headquartered conservation agency NatureScot and its guidance, making it trickier to enact gull control through nest removal.
So amid those tensions and growing public frustration, the summit emerged as an opportunity to find a solution.
NatureScot chairman Professor Colin Galbraith insisting during a visit to Inverness that he was keen to work with people, stating in July: “Co-production is really important from day one. Co-delivery is equally important.”
Mr Ewing and Mr Ross have always pressed for the summit to be open to the public.
On hearing that the summit would be behind closed doors, Mr Ross reacted with fury saying that “they have already decided the outcome before they have listened to a single person”.
He added: “This ‘Seagull Summit’ was only agreed to by Scottish Government ministers following persistent questioning and debates in the Scottish Parliament but they are excluding MSPs because we would raise difficult and challenging questions.
“The whole thing reeks of a stitch-up and a sham. Invitations are being sent out at the last minute to a heavily restricted number of people and the whole agenda is designed to support the [agriculture] minister [Jim Fairlie] and NatureScot.
“They are more interested in protecting these birds rather than the people being attacked by them or the businesses affected by the gulls’ aggressive behaviour.
“It tells you everything you need to know that the final session on the agenda at the summit is ‘Moving Forward and Living with Gulls’.
“I’m angry and fed-up that this summit will now be a pathetic excuse for the minister and NatureScot to tick a box of consulting with communities when in reality it’s nothing of the kind.
“They are not listening, in fact they’re sticking-up two fingers to everyone who has raised legitimate concerns. Jim Fairlie should be brave enough to listen to the real views of people impacted by these gulls and accept we need a huge change in approach from the Scottish Government and NatureScot.”
Mr Ewing said it is becoming a trend for the Scottish Government to try and avoid appearing before the public to account for their decision-making.
“A clear pattern is emerging that Scottish Government ministers are now scared to appear before the public in the Highlands,” he said. “They failed to show at the renewables convention at Kingsmills Hotel on August 12, and now they have refused to hold the seagull summit before the public.
“Scottish ministers are now afraid to put their case to the people in the Highlands.”
He argued that Mr Fairlie should grasp the nettle and bring NatureScot into line with what is being advocated by locals suffering from gull attacks.
He said: “Ministers have the legal powers to order NatureScot to take action to enable necessary humane control of gulls, but refuse to use them.
“They also choose to ignore the views and serious concerns of hundreds of ordinary people, some of whom have been injured by gull attacks and others unable to leave their homes, and instead opt to follow instructions from NatureScot.
“This event is a total sham and farce with a pre-ordained outcome.”
A NatureScot spokesperson said: "We appreciate and understand that there are strong views about urban gull impacts among members of the public and their representatives. NatureScot is assisting the Scottish Government in making preparations for the minister’s summit, the purpose of which is to bring together representatives of those most directly involved in managing gulls on the ground to share views from all sides of the debate, discuss those concerns and work together to find practical shared solutions to the issue."
Scottish Government has been invited to comment.