John Nankervis wrote,
: I quote: "Proven methods exist for gull control, including the use of
bread
: soaked in alpha-chloralose. This has proved effective in extensive gull
: control programs carried out in Western Europe and North America over the
: last 30 years."
:
: I am all for adopting ways to stop the predation but my question is this,
: what specific effect or deterrent does "alpha chloralose" have on the
gulls?
I wondered whether their really was a need for control. How did the stilts
cope before? Is it not in their ecology to suffer such high predation rates
at times? (I understand such mass breeding events are infrequent and so mass
failure is even more devastating than for a species which breeds annually).
I'm certainly not against predator control (more especially for exotic
species - foxes etc.).If there has been a human-induced change in stilt
(less likely) or gull (highly likely) ecology which has increased predation
to unsustainable levels, then perhaps a cull is justified at the next
breeding event.
Has such a change occurred?
Ken Tucker
Bournemouth, UK.
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