Vittoriosa local council has dropped plans to cull pigeons and will be assisted by the government to reduce the pigeon population by other means. Similar help will be offered to other councils.

The decision was taken after the council had meetings with the parliamentary secretaries responsible for animal welfare and local councils, Clint Camilleri and Silvio Parnis.

The planned shoot-down tomorrow had drawn widespread criticism. 

The local councils of St Julian’s, Sliema and Balzan had also organised the shooting of pigeons in the past.

Vittoriosa Mayor John Boxall had explained that the large number of wild pigeons in the city was unbearable, and their excrement could be found everywhere – from people’s rooftops and porches, to historic buildings. The Colacchio area was “invaded” by these birds.

Residents had been trying to shoo away pigeons by hanging plastic bags and pieces of acrylic sheets on their roofs. Some had suggested using poison to get rid of the pigeons – but the council was against this for safety reasons.

The pigeon cull in Balzan last year and in Sliema in 2015 had also angered residents. The Sliema local council had insisted that the drastic measure was the only solution to a problem with serious health implications.

Pigeons carry diseases that can be transmitted to humans and their excrement can cause contamination.