SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT WILL DISCUSS THE GUGA HUNT — ANOTHER FROM PROTECT THE WILD

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more GOOD NEWS! for the campaign to end the Guga hunt Today, the Scottish Parliament ensured this petition will carry forward - and with it, a real chance to change the law. DEVON DOCHERTY MAR 11 READ IN APP Today, MSPs made an important decision. They unanimously decided to keep Rachel Bigsby’s petition to end the Guga hunt open and carry it forward to the next Parliament. Here’s why this matters. The current Scottish Parliament is about to dissolve ahead of the upcoming election in May. With this government’s term coming to an end and parliamentary business rapidly winding down, the Committee could easily have closed the petition, simply saying that time had run out. But they didn’t. Instead, they recognised that the scale of public opposition to the Guga hunt demands scrutiny - not silence. They acknowledged that significant concerns surrounding the hunt remain unresolved and must be properly examined. In our submission to the Committee, we highlighted that seven seabird species within the Special Protection Area where the hunt takes place are already on the brink of immediate collapse - having been officially assessed as being in unfavourable conservation status by the very agency that licenses the hunt, NatureScot. Tell NatureScot: STOP THE GUGA HUNT We warned the Committee that allowing the Guga hunt to continue would further endanger an already vulnerable colony, and undermine Scotland’s reputation as a leader in conservation and sustainable wildlife tourism. On Monday we held a silent protest ahead of today’s committee meeting, urging MSPs: Don’t silence the public. Because of this morning’s decision, this issue will now land directly on the desk of MSPs in May, forcing them to reconsider the outdated legal exemption in the Wildlife and Countryside Act that allows this hunt to take place. You made history This only happened because more than 100,000 of you spoke up. 100,000 people said that tearing young seabirds from their nests and killing them for tradition is no longer acceptable, and that the law must reflect this. This petition made history. It was the largest put before this government, the fourth largest in Scottish history, and the largest ever relating to animal welfare in Scotland. So thanks to every one of you who added your name, and to wildlife photographer Rachel Bigsby for starting the petition. You forced the Guga hunt into public consciousness and onto the political agenda. You made sure it could not be quietly dismissed. And you helped create a real pathway to changing the law and ensuring this abhorrent hunt is consigned to the history books where it belongs. Photograph of Gannets by Rachel Bigsby. Here’s what we must do now With Parliament now effectively on pause ahead of the election, attention turns to NatureScot. They hold the power to stop this year’s hunt by refusing to license it. The licence application could arrive any day now, and when it does, we’ll need the strength of this movement ready to make itself heard again. Tell NatureScot to end the Guga Hunt Help fund the campaign to end the Guga hunt Over the coming months, however long it takes, we will be working tirelessly to bring an end to the Guga hunt. We will continue conducting scientific research to strengthen the case against it, pushing the Government petition forward, and applying pressure on NatureScot to revoke the licence. Our efforts will combine public demonstrations, sustained public pressure, and direct engagement with decision-makers. We are determined to bring this issue into the mainstream. That means producing another hard-hitting animation, publishing regular online content that reaches hundreds of thousands of people, and ensuring the issue cannot be ignored. In just the past week alone we have secured national press coverage, reached over 500,000 people through our social media channels, helped generate more than 1,500 emails to NatureScot, and ensured the Government petition remains open for future consideration. You can help power this work by donating a small monthly amount. Your support will allow us to continue the research, campaigning, and public outreach needed to keep the pressure on, and to do everything we possibly can to end the Guga hunt for good. Support Protect the Wild SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing