Cornwall hopes to clear seagull mess

The Town of Cornwall, P.E.I. is hoping a new machine will scare away seagulls that are making a mess on the new fields at the Terry Fox Sports Complex.

The $700 Bird Gard makes the sound of a seagull in distress.

"When you play it, it sounds like the seagull is being attacked," said Coun. Corey Frizzell, chair of the parks and recreation committee.

"When the real-life seagulls hear that noise, they take off. They fly away. They think there's a threat in the area."

Frizzell and his committee heard the device in action over the weekend when they visited Wymans in eastern P.E.I. The blueberry operation is constantly battling seagulls who like to eat the berries, and the company says it uses a combination of different deterrents to keep the birds away, including the Bird Gard.

Frizzell is recommending council buy a unit. Cornwall town council will decide on whether to buy the noise machine during its upcoming budget discussions.