PROTECT THE WILD SEE THE BEAUTY OF FREEFLYING GANNETS—END THE GUGA HUNT FOR IT’S BARBARIC

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more I went to the place where the Guga hunt begins. I didn't expect to see this. I went out of curiosity, not really knowing what I’d find. I definitely didn’t expect this. DEVON DOCHERTY JUN 27 READ IN APP On the northernmost tip of the Isle of Lewis lies Ness, a remote district comprising 16 small villages. At first glance, there is little to distinguish Ness from countless other Scottish coastal communities. Quiet villages of weather-beaten houses, narrow roads and rugged coastline overlooking the Atlantic. But there's one thing that makes Ness unlike anywhere else in Britain. It’s the home of the UK’s last seabird hunt. What is the Guga hunt? Centuries ago, when this community was isolated from the mainland and without reliable food sources, they were forced to find sustenance wherever they could. Every summer, they sailed 40 miles north into the Atlantic to the remote island of Sula Sgeir, where they hunted young Gannet chicks - known locally as Guga - and salted them for the winter. It was a very dangerous journey, made out of desperation. Although that necessity did nothing to lessen the suffering of the Gannets, it does help explain why the Guga hunt began. But that world no longer exists. Ness is no longer cut off. The men who make the journey today do so by choice - for tradition, and because young Gannet flesh has become a local delicacy with paying customers. END THE GUGA HUNT The decision about whether the Guga hunt still goes ahead rests with Scotland’s nature agency, NatureScot. And this year, as that licence application sits under consideration, I wanted to see the place for myself. I went out of curiosity, not really knowing what I’d find. I definitely didn’t expect this. Gannets everywhere! It was an extraordinary sight. Gannets plunging into the water right in front of me. Soaring overhead. Alive, wild and completely at home. I stood on the harbour watching them, unable to look away. I knew Gannets lived around Lewis. But I hadn't expected this - not here, not like this, at the harbour where it all begins. These birds are breathtaking up close - huge, white with a flash of orange, impossibly graceful, folding their wings and dropping into the sea like torpedos. I lost track of how long I stood there. And then it hit me. This is what the hunters see before they leave. They watch them dive. They watch them soar. And then they sail north to bludgeon their chicks to death. I can't stop thinking about that. We’ve been asking the wrong question To the hunters, scenes like this are proof there are “enough” Gannets to kill. But this was never only about whether the Guga hunt can continue. It’s about whether it should. Standing at that harbour, watching those birds survive against all odds, I felt the answer very clearly. This is where Gannets belong. Alive, free and undisturbed. Not on the receiving end of a weapon, or on someone’s plate. The consumption and trade of wildlife has no place in 2026. It is a needless waste of life and it’s pushing seabirds ever closer to the brink. NatureScot is currently deciding whether to grant the licence for the hunt this year. You can urge them to reject it by clicking the button below. NATURESCOT - STOP THE GUGA HUNT When I think back to Ness, I don’t see the harbour, or the boats, nor the men who may soon board them. I picture Gannets suspended on the wind, wheeling over the Atlantic, living the only lives they will ever have. They've survived storms, starvation and thousands of miles of open ocean. I hope they survive us, too. Join the fight Pick up a Gannet pin badge and stand with these incredible birds. Your purchase directly supports our full-time campaign to end Britain’s last seabird hunt and keep Gannets where they belong - alive, wild and free. GET YOUR PIN BADGE SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing