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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Libby Brooks Scotland correspondent

Gull poo pollution warnings on Scottish beaches ‘out of proportion’, say experts

Pollution
A seagull
The RSPB said the poster campaign ‘demonises’ gulls and bird guano is an essential part of the coastal ecosystem. Photograph: Mark Wiener/Alamy

Warnings on Scottish beaches not to feed gulls because bird poo contributes to water pollution are “massively out of proportion”, according to ornithology experts.

The posters, which are part of Keep Scotland Beautiful’s My Beach Your Beach campaign, have also been criticised for “demonising” gulls and contributing to a chronic human misunderstanding of bird behaviour.

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