Gull summit labeled a farce as SNP minister's resignation intensifies scrutiny

An event billed as a seagull summit in Inverness has been dismissed as a waste of time by critics, after it failed to yield concrete measures to curb urban gulls and amid a political row that culminated in the resignation of a senior SNP minister.

Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie hosted the gathering at NatureScot's headquarters in Inverness. He said the meeting was not a summit but a roundtable and that it was only the start of a conversation about what needs to happen to control the gull problem in cities. He had previously described the event as a summit when he announced it in parliament in response to concerns that someone could be seriously injured or killed by a gull.

Before the event, Fairlie told BBC Good Morning Scotland that, if he called it a summit, he would have to admit that he had mislabelled it. "This is the start of a conversation about changing patterns of gull behaviour, where they roost, nest and feed, and how we might reduce conflicts with people going about their daily business," he said.

The gathering, which drew sharp criticism for excluding opposition MSPs and for limiting media access, became a focal point of a broader dispute at Holyrood last week over how to address urban gulls. The exchange contributed to the resignation of Parliamentary Business Minister Jamie Hepburn after former Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross accused him of physically assaulting and verbally abusing him during a confrontation over the summit.

The event has since been described by supporters and critics alike as a microcosm of the wider struggle to balance wildlife protections with public safety in urban Scotland. In a post-event statement, Fairlie acknowledged that urban gulls pose ongoing public-safety concerns and that licensing authorities must weigh science and policy when considering nest removals. "There are clearly still dividing lines between whether an urban gull has a place in urban Scotland or not" he said, noting that gulls are causing significant issues for people. He added that the gull population is declining in its natural environment while rising in urban areas and that the path to solutions must account for changing patterns of how and where these birds live. He stressed that the licensing authority will need to consider all factors when granting licences to remove nests.

The resignation of Hepburn followed a heated exchange in Holyrood in which Douglas Ross demanded a ministerial statement on the seagull summit, branding the event a sham. Ross later alleged that Hepburn physically assaulted him and subjected him to verbal abuse, a claim that helped propel the controversy into the political foreground. Hepburn stepped down amid the backlash, with critics arguing that the government had mishandled the proceedings and the communications surrounding them.

From Inverness, the criticisms extended beyond the individuals involved. Douglas Ross described the weekend dispute as evidence that the summit had been a failed exercise, arguing that the SNP government and NatureScot had not engaged with real communities facing gull problems. "The fear that this would be just another SNP talking shop has turned out to be exactly what happened," Ross said. "Jim Fairlie and quango bosses at NatureScot are continuing to bury their heads in the sand and don’t want to hear from real people who are living in fear of being attacked by gulls. Until SNP ministers stop cosying up to those in charge at NatureScot, then absolutely nothing will change and communities across Scotland will continue to be at risk of becoming the next victim of a gull. This was, even by SNP talking-shop standards, a complete waste of time and resources and has left those concerned about gulls none the wiser about how the SNP plan to tackle the issue."

Former SNP rural economy secretary Fergus Ewing, independent MSP for Inverness and Nairn, took a similar line, calling the summit a farce. "This summit has proven to be a farce. With the public press and MSPs refused entry, it was a case of Scottish Government and NatureScot largely talking to itself," he said. "This whole issue has been spectacularly mishandled by Scot Gov and NatureScot. I have had messages of support from around Scotland to continue to campaign to protect human life and that is what I shall most certainly do."

Political observers say the controversy surrounding the seagull debate has complicated broader efforts to address urban wildlife and public safety, including licensing constraints, environmental protections for birds, and the need for transparent, inclusive policymaking. Proponents of a more open approach argue that substantive progress requires greater engagement with communities living with gulls, timely information sharing, and a clear plan for mitigating nuisance and risk without compromising animal welfare.

As officials contemplate next steps, critics warn not to view any future discussions as a substitute for decisive policy. Supporters emphasize the importance of ongoing dialogue, science-led assessment of urban gull behaviour, and the balancing of competing public interests. The situation remains fluid, with lawmakers and agencies pledging to reassess how such issues are raised, discussed, and acted upon in the months ahead, while the immediate political damage of the weekend episode continues to reverberate through Holyrood and Party corridors.