Farmers would terminate gulls with extreme prejudice

Plagued by birds that eat expensive feed and sicken livestock, farmers want to load up

Organic pig farmers say they are being plagued by flocks of gulls that land on their fields, eat up to 1,500 kroner’s worth of pig food every day, and carry diseases that can sicken their livestock.

They want to employ a 6mm Remington solution.

“A flock of seagulls flying between herds poses a potential risk,” Bertel Hestbjerg, the operator of a large organic pig farm south of Holster, told DR Nyheder.

Permission denied
Hestbjerg said that farmers are especially worried that the gulls could cause dysentery among their livestock. The gulls can eat up to 500 kg of pig feed a day. Despite those issues, nature authority Naturstyrelsen has declined to give Hestbjerg a permit for a gull hunt.

“You are allowed to shoot gulls in the cities for waking people up,” he said. “Isn’t it reasonable that I could shoot two or maybe ten here?”

READ MORE: Controlling seagulls and strengthening peregrine falcon numbers

Jacob Friis from Naturstyrelsen said the damage and risk of infection from the birds is not enough to justify hunting them down.

“Unless there is a current outbreak in the herd or in a nearby herd, there is no risk of infection from wild birds,” he said.




Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.


  • Inside Denmark’s innovation engine

    Inside Denmark’s innovation engine

    With half of its staff being international, the BioInnovation Institute reflects Denmark’s broader transformation into a global innovation hub. But can the country—and Europe—keep up the pace? “If reforms are made now, we can close the gap in ten years,” explains BII’s CEO

  • Internationals’ labour contributes 361 billion DKK to Denmark’s GDP, and it is growing strongly every year

    Internationals’ labour contributes 361 billion DKK to Denmark’s GDP, and it is growing strongly every year

    According to a report by the Danish Chamber of Commerce, internationals’ contribution is 12% of the country’s GDP. In 2023, it was 322 billion DKK, and in 2008, it was 136 billion DKK. “Internationals make a gigantic difference in our prosperity and welfare,” comments Morten Langager, the Director of Dansk Erhverv.

  • International designers struggle to find jobs in Denmark

    International designers struggle to find jobs in Denmark

    Many internationals come to Denmark to work as designers, but the field appears to be one of the hardest to break into. The Copenhagen Post spoke with two internationals struggling to find their way into the industry.