Seaside Heights has a major problem along the boardwalk - aggressive seagulls.
Complaints about the birds have prompted the mayor to investigate ways to control them. With more people eating outside on the boardwalk, the seagulls have gotten more brazen in the last few summers, often dive-bombing unsuspecting visitors and snatching their snacks.
Seaside Heights Mayor Tony Vaz says the borough has seen an “abundance of seagulls” this year. He says solutions are being looked at, and the borough is looking at other Shore communities who may have the same problem.
Back in 2019, Ocean City faced similar bird problems. The city hired a falconer - and it worked, at a cost of $2,100 a day.
Vaz says a falconer would work in Seaside Heights but it’s a “great expense” and is out of the budget. He says the borough is looking at fishing lines and other technology to handle the levels of seagulls.