Nets Over The Ocean City Boardwalk?

I was on the boardwalk in Ocean City, NJ on Saturday and had to duck several times to avoid being hit by seagulls.  That's why I wasn't surprised when I saw that OC's mayor, Jay A. Gillen, had published a letter on the town's website asking visitors to stop feeding the pesky birds.

In the letter, Gillen said that he had "seen many incidents and heard many more complaints this summer about sea gulls taking food from people on the beach and boardwalk."  He also said that the seagulls have gotten more aggressive.

The mayor said that the situation has gotten so bad that the town's administration would "explore the feasibility of netting, noise and other ways to prevent them from pilfering food."

Gillen says, "The best deterrent is the simplest: Cut off this easy and unnatural food supply."  That means not only not feeding the birds, but also making sure you protect your food so that a bird can't swoop down and steal a snack.  (By the way, technically, it's against the law to feed seagulls and any wildlife in Ocean City).