FROM PROTECT THE WILD — GUGA KILLING REDUCES THE COLONY POPULATION OVER TIME

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more SCANDAL: Guga hunt island is Scotland’s worst performing Gannet colony. New FOI documents expose a secret NatureScot would rather bury. DEVON DOCHERTY MAR 28 READ IN APP Sula Sgeir is Scotland’s worst-performing Gannet colony - yet the body responsible for protecting it is still allowing birds to be killed. Each year a group of men travel to the remote island of Sula Sgeir in northern Scotland to kill young Gannet seabirds - known as “Guga” - as part of a traditional hunt. The defenceless chicks are pulled from their nests and bludgeoned to death with a rod before they can even fly. Their flesh is eaten as a local delicacy. The activity can only happen if NatureScot, Scotland’s official nature agency, gives out a licence for it. And they do. Year after year. SIGN THE PETITION Last year, they allowed 500 chicks to be killed, saying this number is unlikely to affect the stability of the Gannet population. They continue to insist there are no long-term impacts and no cause for concern. But their own data says otherwise. Data doesn’t lie Via a Freedom of Information request, we obtained documents that show Sula Sgeir is uniquely underperforming compared to every other comparable Gannet colony in Scotland. In a scientific assessment used to inform the 2025 licence, NatureScot’s advisor warns that Sula Sgeir is the only Special Protection Area (SPA) for Gannets in Scotland whose population has shrunk. Between 2001, when the island was first designated as an SPA, and 2024, the number of apparently occupied nesting sites at Sula Sgeir fell by almost 2 percent. Meanwhile, all other colonies showed increases between 9 percent and 314 percent. Bird flu is not the cause of the decline, the hunt is And this is where it starts to raise serious questions. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreaks caused a further 23 percent crash in 2023 - but the decline was already in progress. TELL NATURESCOT - END THE GUGA HUNT Even before HPAI devastated the colony, “the percentage growth at Sula Sgeir…was 18%, which is considerably lower than the population growth recorded at all other SPA colonies, which varied from 44% to 326%,” says the advisor. They conclude: “This indicates that the population growth rate has been suppressed compared to other gannet populations outwith the influence of HPAI”. So if bird flu is not to blame for the overall decline on Sula Sgeir, then what is? Could it be that Sula Sgeir is the only Gannet colony in Scotland where chicks are being killed by humans? Every year, thousands of chicks are slaughtered at their most vulnerable and critical life-stage, sending shockwaves of disturbance throughout the entire colony. To continue suggesting the Guga hunt is not damaging this population is farcical. It is very, very hard to believe that NatureScot issued last year’s license knowing all of this. The bottom line Let’s be very clear about what this means. This means that NatureScot gave out a licence last year knowing that: Sula Sgeir was the only Gannet SPA in Scotland to fall below citation level. Sula Sgeir has, by far, the slowest growth rate of any comparable colony. The population has been suppressed, and bird flu is not the cause. SIGN THE PETITION TODAY NatureScot’s number one duty is supposed to be protecting and conserving nature - not enabling its destruction. We cannot let this go on. Sign the petition today and demand NatureScot stop licensing the slaughter of Gannet chicks on Sula Sgeir. If we don’t act now, hundreds more chicks will be killed this year. Please add your name before it’s too late for them. STOP THE SLAUGHTER - ADD YOUR NAME Support our ongoing work to Protect the Wild I’ll get straight to the point. This work costs money. Everything we do comes from years of relentless campaigning across all angles, including undercover investigations, lobbying, animations, online content, and protests across the country. We are proud to be powered solely by our supporters. It means we answer to no one else, and we can say and do what needs to be done to protect British wildlife. We are working to end hunting with hounds. Taking on the bird shooting industry, with some huge work still to come. Challenging the Guga hunt. Exposing and fighting bird netting. The list goes on. If you believe in what we stand for, an unapologetic organisation that gets things done and isn’t afraid to take action, please consider chipping in a few pounds a month. It allows us to keep pushing forward and to be an even stronger force for British wildlife. Thank you. Support us SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing