St Ives' business team has launched its latest attempt to wrap-up the towns gull problem, in the form of educational chip wrappers.

The town’s Business Improvement District (BID) has come up with a new educational scheme amid concerns from local businesses that hungry herring gulls are affecting the holiday destination’s image.

The Daily Gull newspaper is a large printed sheet of greaseproof wrap for takeaways on the sea front, produced by St Ives BID in collaboration with Dr Viola Ross-Smith, a seabird expert from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).

The wrapping has been offering visitors hints and tips on understanding gulls, especially their warning calls, to keep people safe while they enjoy their fish and chips. It follows many incidents of food-swiping by herring gulls, including one which ended with an 18 year-old woman falling fro Smeaton’s Pier in July.

St Ives BID has already invested in signs and seagull spikes, but traders collectively felt more was needed during the summer season when gulls are feeding growing chicks, which typically takes place during July and August. The new initiative aimed to increase human awareness of gulls, limiting the birds’ chances of an opportune swoop for food.

Neil Whitham, owner of harbour-front fish and chip shop Balancing Eel, said: “We think the campaign is an excellent idea. Whether we like it or not, gulls are a part of the town and have every right to be here. Some of the gulls are opportunist thieves – and very good at it too. They see easy pickings and will take food from you, particularly the young and unaware. We are constantly telling our customers to beware of the gulls if taking food to eat outside. One of the biggest contributors to the problem, however, is that some people still feed them by throwing scraps or leftovers, which just encourages them more.”

St Ives BID manager Carl Lamb said: “This issue isn’t going to go away, so we have taken a fresh approach to it this summer. As gulls are very intelligent and read our body language, why not use this to our advantage and communicate with them in a way they recognise? As any local will tell you, gulls respect those who are aware of their surroundings – that’s why they tend to prey on distracted tourists.

“If I have one bit of advice to give for people visiting a seaside town like St. Ives, it’s to look up, look around you, and make eye contact with the gulls. Do this regularly enough and you’re well on the way to protecting your picnic. A seaside holiday wouldn’t be the same without the sound of the Herring Gull. We must also remember that gulls are on the decline nationally, hence their legal protection as a species.”

Dr Viola Ross-Smith, science communications manager at the British Trust for Ornithology, added: “Gulls are dietary specialists and only some routinely eat human food. It’s worth bearing this in mind when you’re at the beach – as our recent research shows, not every bird you see will be after your ice cream.

“However, if you want to minimize your chances of falling foul of the birds that are, an understanding of their behaviour can help. It’s also worth remembering that a hungry gull is not out to attack – gulls only attack when they are defending their eggs and chicks. Many people quite understandably perceive a bird swooping down for food as a sign of aggression, and panic, but there is no actual need.”

The BTO recently undertook a study using global positioning systems to track four herring gulls nesting on the rooftops of St Ives. Interestingly, none of these four birds was found to feed in St Ives; instead the gulls foraged out to sea and in nearby fields, proving that not all urban gulls feast on chips and pasties.