I want to talk about pigeons.
Checking emails this Wednesday morning, l came across the following from an organisation called Protect the Wild.
“Stop the Killing in Bath: Green Park station, stop the cull.”
As headlines go, that certainly encouraged me to read on – though it’s a shame the email came today and not a few days ago, as the event feared by this group was apparently due to be carried out last night!
According to the release:
” A cull has been organised by Sainsbury’s. A company called Rentokill are said to be due on site. Unless action is taken, birds will be killed, not because there is no alternative, but because the real problem is being ignored.”
The real problem, they say, is:
” Rescuers on site report what should have been obvious from the start: the netting is compromised. There are multiple holes, far more than the two the contractor intends to fix. This changes everything.
Because it means that even if pigeons are killed tonight, others will return. They will re-enter through the same gaps, rebuild nests, raise young, and the cycle will begin again. More birds are trapped. More birds are killed. Over and over. This is not management. It is animal suffering.”
Killing birds, they say, will not fix this.
“It cannot be claimed that this is necessary. No humane alternatives have been properly trialled. No meaningful effort has been made to resolve the issue without killing. No comprehensive repair of the structure has been planned, and most critically, the netting is not being fixed.~”
I decided to walk down to Green Park this Thursday morning and see for myself.
There was no evidence of dead birds or loose feathers that might have been associated with catching the birds.
I did bump into a lady who was busy mopping the floor. She did not want to be identified but told me the birds were a nuisance – especially at week-ends when the Farmer’s Market was laying out fresh food for sale.
She too agreed that there were holes in the netting that covers most of the roof, and there were certainly quite a few birds l could see that had penetrated that defence and, apparently, are clever enough to find a way out.
I went to Sainsbury’s adjacent store and spoke to a senior member of staff who was aware of the issue and the fact that there had been quite a bit of chatter about it on social media. He did not think a ‘cull’ had taken place last night.
Elsewhere in Green Park station, a long-term trader thought there were fewer pigeons about today but could not confirm if any birds were removed forcibly last night.
I was directed to the officers of Ethical Property, who l was told manage the station on behalf of Sainsbury’s. A gentleman at a desk informed me he was told not to talk to anyone.
I have emailed Sainsbury’s Press Office and also Rentokill to see if l can discover anything else.
Whether a pigeon intervention has happened or not remains a mystery, but it is obvious there is a problem there.
Apparently, since the recent fire and the fact that there is no line of permanent food stalls there now, the gulls have gone elsewhere to search for a meal.
This whole situation set me thinking about what legal protection there might be for pigeons.
It seems the wood pigeon and rock dove are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981, like most birds. This makes it illegal to kill, injure, or take them without lawful authority.
However, many pigeon species ( especially wood pigeons and feral pigeons) can be legally controlled under general licences issued by bodies such as Natural England.
These licenses allow control for specific reasons, such as preventing serious damage to crops and protecting public health or safety.
Domestic or feral pigeons are often treated differently in practice and may be controlled more freely, but still within legal limits.
Protect the Wild is calling on Sainsbury’s to postpone the cull and remove the netting entirely as, they say, it causes more harm than preventing it.
All pigeons and babies on site should be safely rescued and rehabilitated, they say. The supermarket should also contact Humane Wildlife Solutions (who apparently offer humane non-lethal pest control) to implement effective, humane deterrents that do not involve suffering or death.
I don’t know about you, but I have often thought the old station needs to be taken over by an organisation that could turn it into a proper exhibition or conference centre.
One that has some form of doors to keep birds out while allowing those involved in things such as the Farmer’s Market or Antique Fairs easy access, and for resident traders to continue in business without fear of getting the bird.
Over to you!
