Gulls are icons that should be protected

I have ALWAYS had respect for and enjoyed Duncan Barkes' column but last week he spoke with the IQ of a packet of cheese and onion crisps (that are out of date).

Seagull cull... does he mean the gulls that are on the red list and have seen their numbers drop approximately 52 per cent in 20 years? Does he mean the gulls that are an icon of coasts the world over?

Does he mean the animals that are protected by the Wildlife Act? Egg destruction?

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How can he justify calling for/inciting inflicting suffering and/or cruelty against any animal?

I have myself been involved with the rescue, rehabilitation and release of over 400 of these creatures in 2013 alone, and during a release on the foreshore at Bognor Regis last week was applauded by a large group of people; people who have an understanding of the wildlife that we in Sussex and indeed across the UK should be proud of.

Being against the culling of badgers is, according to him, ‘daftness’... A culling that science (he will probably disagree with that next) has proved will only cause suffering and not solve the problem of TB.

Mr Barkes, I implore you to speak on matters that you have at least an ounce of knowledge of, as to speak on matters that you are obviously ignorant of makes you look like what you obviously are...!

Danny Dawes

Southover Road

Bognor Regis

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