Seagull summit exclusion sparks 'stitch-up' accusations as MSPs are left out

An invitation-only summit on the management of urban seagulls set for Inverness next Tuesday has triggered political controversy after local MSPs who led the campaign against nuisance gulls were not invited. The event, hosted at NatureScot’s Inverness headquarters, aims to discuss the impact of urban gulls and steps to reduce attacks on the public, according to officials. Government and agency spokespeople said the gathering will include local authorities, health bodies, housing groups, waste-management organisations, and community representatives, with the goal of identifying practical, on-the-ground solutions.

Opposition and cross-party figures quickly criticized the setup as closed and untransparent. Former Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross, who represents the Highlands and Islands, said the decision to exclude MSPs was deliberate and would prevent difficult questions from being asked. "This seagull summit was only agreed to by Scottish Government ministers following persistent questioning and debates in Parliament but they are excluding MSPs because we would raise difficult and challenging questions," Ross said. "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 minister and NatureScot. Swooping gull attacks on the public have increased. They are more interested in protecting these birds rather than the people being attacked by them." Fergus Ewing, a former Rural Economy Minister who has fielded hundreds of constituent complaints, said the event should be public, openly chaired, livestreamed, and well-promoted. "Instead Fairlie has decreed it’s being held at NatureScot’s HQ, behind closed doors. It’s as though it’s a Mafia meeting." He added that hundreds of Inverness and Nairn residents had contacted him about gull incidents and urged openness.

Jim Fairlie, the SNP agriculture minister who announced the summit, defended the format as a focused opportunity to bring people on the ground together. He said the gathering would be a "focused opportunity for those on the ground" to discuss the issue and that he would be open to further engagement with parliamentary colleagues. The Scottish Government said the event would pull in "key stakeholders from local government, public health bodies, housing associations, waste-management organisations, and community groups" to share perspectives from all sides and develop practical solutions. A NatureScot spokesman said the agency is assisting the government in making preparations for the minister’s summit and emphasized that the purpose was to bring together representatives of those most directly involved in managing gulls on the ground to share views from all sides of the debate and work together to find practical shared solutions to the issue.

The controversy comes as urban gulls continue to roost and scavenge across Scottish towns and cities, with reports of swooping attacks and property damage raising concerns among residents. Officials say the summit aims to translate on-the-ground experience into actionable steps, including coordination among councils, waste services, and health authorities, to reduce conflicts between people and birds. Critics, however, argue that excluding elected representatives from a public policy discussion around wildlife management undermines accountability and public trust, particularly when communities have faced repeated incidents.

NatureScot’s role in facilitating the event mirrors a broader pattern in which quangos and government bodies collaborate on environmental and public-health challenges. Advocates for greater transparency say that public access to the proceedings and a clear, publicly available agenda would help ensure that diverse viewpoints are heard and that any proposed measures balance animal welfare with public safety.

The image below shows the type of urban gull activity that has amplified calls for government action.

As Inverness and surrounding communities await the outcome of the summit, observers note that the discussions may influence how similar wildlife-management debates are handled elsewhere in the United Kingdom and Europe. With city leaders watching closely, the question remains whether the gathering will yield concrete, implementable steps or simply serve as a signaling exercise for policymakers facing persistent public frustration over gull-related disruption.