Freedom of Information Request - Gulls
Date: 27 August 2025
Our ref: SIR180872/A5352661
Information Request – Gulls
Your Request
Original Request:
I would be pleased if you can supply me with the following information regards this project and make this request under the FOI Law but also under the EIRS - the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004. I am also sending this FOI to the Scottish Government.
1. Health Risks
I would be grateful to view all documents comprising any analysis or other consideration of the health risks to humans posed by gulls, including risk of falls from swooping attacks, risks of ingestion of gull droppings, risks of respiratory and water-based infections, including Histoplasmosis, Cryptococcosis, Psittacosis (Ornithosis), Salmonellosis and Ecoli which are associated therewith.
2. Levels of population
I would be grateful to view all data relating to the analysis of levels of population of the herring backed and black backed gulls in Scotland, including any national and local data. Please also supply me with the locations in Scotland the 2020 and 2023 surveys of the Urban Herring Gull and the Urban Black Backed Gull were taken.
Please also supply me with the detailed results of these surveys by location.
3. Advice from NatureScot to Ministers
I would be grateful for sight of all submissions and interchange between NatureScot and Ministers and SG Officials and Ministers and NatureScot to SG Officials please.
Clarified Request:
The project is the way in which NS carry out their role re the gull licensing scheme My Q3 of the FOI request relates to the gull licensing scheme including health and safety considerations.
Our Response
Following a search of the information we hold our response is below.
1. Health Risks
As part of the review of gull licenses in 2021, a research report was commissioned by NatureScot. This project included a review of gull management and covered some disease/pathogen transmission risks. The relevant information is attached separately.
2. Levels of population
Information we hold on population estimates for Scotland, including trend information between the two JNCC seabird count censuses undertaken in 2000 and 2023, is attached separately. Further information on seabird counts is available from the JNCC website.
Other sources of information that may be of interest:
• Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) seabird surveys project report
• British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Seabird Monitoring Programme
The latest breeding seabird data has been published. The associated seabird data news release.
We have not carried out any local gull surveys since 2020. Some monitoring of gulls is done in Scotland by volunteers/birdwatchers, but we do not hold the information. Contact details and online Scottish Bird Reports can be found on the Scottish Ornithologists' Club (SOC) website.
3. Advice from NatureScot to Ministers
We have previously provided correspondence between NatureScot and Scottish Government officials and Ministers in response to an earlier FOI request from you, which is re-attached separately for ease. Any additional correspondence is attached separately.
We have marked out (redacted) personal data in the documents provided. Releasing personal data into the public domain in response to an access to information request would breach the Data Protection Act 2018. We are therefore withholding the information under EIRs Regulation 11(2) (Personal data).
How We Handled Your Request
We believe you have asked for environmental information as defined in the Environmental Information (Scotland Regulations 2004 (‘the EIRs’), so we are dealing with your request under those regulations. To be able to use the EIRs, we must apply an exemption under section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (‘FOISA’). The Scottish Information Commissioner’s guidance recommends that public authorities apply this exemption to environmental information and handle request under the EIRs.
If you would like to find out more about the access to information legislation, there is a guidance booklet available on the Scottish Information Commissioner’s website.
Review and Appeal
I hope this information meets your requirements, but if you are dissatisfied with how we have responded to your information request, please write to us within 40 working days explaining your concerns. You can contact us at Battleby, Redgorton, Perth, PH1 3EW or email us at [email protected]. We will carry out a review of our response and contact you with our findings within 20 working days.
If you are not satisfied following this, you can make an appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner within 6 months. The Scottish Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Scottish Information Commissioner
Kinburn Castle
Doubledykes Road
St Andrews
Fife
KY16 9DS
Telephone: 01334 464610
Yours sincerely
FOI Officer,
NatureScot
Document downloads
Due to accessibility issues the attached information, referenced above, is available on request by contacting the FOI team at [email protected]. Please reference the case number (starting with SIR).
