Seagulls terrorizing Liepāja resort town: food snatched straight from hands

In the Latvian resort town of Liepāja, seagulls have become increasingly bold and aggressive, stealing food directly from people and damaging café property. Latvia's nature conservation authority emphasizes that solving the problem requires preventive measures, not just dealing with the consequences.

In Liepāja and other Latvian coastal towns, seagulls have become a serious nuisance for both residents and businesses. The birds have grown so bold that they snatch food directly from people's hands and cause damage to street cafés and other public spaces.

According to local TV channel Kurzeme, the situation is particularly acute in popular beach areas where holidaymakers and tourists gather to eat. Seagulls have learned from human behaviour and seize every opportunity for a free meal, not hesitating to engage in direct confrontation.

Residents and local merchants are actively seeking ways to deal with the problem, but finding solutions has proven difficult. Meanwhile, Latvia's nature conservation authority warns that merely addressing the consequences, such as chasing away the birds, does not yield long-term results.

Officials stress that the focus must be on prevention: people should not feed the birds and food must be kept protected from them. The seagulls' boldness is directly linked to their having become accustomed to receiving food from humans and no longer fearing them.