IS THIS THE END OF GUGA AS A ‘PRIZED DELICASY’. IT’S CRUEL IT SHOULD BE OUTLAWED

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Government watchdog rules Guga hunt is inhumane This is the beginning of the end for the Guga hunt. DEVON DOCHERTY JUL 8 READ IN APP This may be the most significant development in the fight to end the Guga hunt yet. The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC) has concluded that it is “unaware of a humane way” to kill Gannets during the Guga hunt. In a letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Rural Affairs, SAWC Chair Professor Cathy Dwyer set out the results of the Commission’s review into the animal welfare aspects of the hunt, which involves up to 2000 Gannet chicks being killed on the remote Scottish island of Sula Sgeir every year. It’s done for nothing more than a cruel tradition, with the bird’s flesh eaten as a “prized delicacy.” SIGN THE PETITION SAWC concluded that there is no reasonable way to ensure Gannet chicks are spared unnecessary suffering as they are captured from their nests and killed by blunt force trauma. But the Commission’s concerns extended far beyond the moment of death. They recognised that the hunt subjects Gannets to fear, anxiety, and distress caused by human activity. This includes the fear experienced by chicks as they are captured and handled by hunters, and the distress of parent birds forced to witness their chicks being removed and killed. They warned that prolonged disturbance can lead to nest abandonment, leaving chicks to starve. As for the impact on other breeding seabirds who share Sula Sgeir with the Gannets, the Commission highlighted that disturbance is one of their greatest conservation threats. SAWC consulted the Humane Slaughter Association during their review, and we'll let their conclusions speak for themselves: The current method raises serious welfare concerns at every stage, not just stunning/killing: capture, restraint, and handling, would all cause significant distress. It is difficult to reconcile the current procedure with NatureScot’s own licence condition that birds should be killed humanely, especially if one considers every action from the point of capture to be part of the killing process. The Scottish SPCA also objects to the killing method and remains opposed to the Guga hunt on animal welfare grounds. That's three of the country's leading animal welfare authorities all reaching the same conclusion: the Guga hunt is inhumane. Why is this so significant? This marks the first time that advice against the Guga hunt has come from a Government-appointed body. SAWC are not campaigners or an outside animal welfare organisation. They are the Scottish Government’s independent advisory body on animal welfare. The Commission is made up of leading experts in veterinary science, animal welfare and animal behaviour, whose role is to provide independent advice to Scottish Ministers on animal welfare policy. Since petitions against the hunt began gathering momentum last year, the Scottish Government has maintained that it has no plans to outlaw the hunt and gave repeated assurances about humane killing. Now, their own experts say that humane killing simply isn't possible under the conditions on Sula Sgeir. They cannot disregard this. As we alluded earlier, another reason this is so significant is that one of NatureScot’s key licence conditions is that birds “must be killed immediately and in a humane manner.” There is now robust evidence this condition cannot be met, fundamentally undermining the basis on which any future licence could be granted. How can NatureScot grant a licence requiring humane killing when the Scottish Government’s own advisors say humane killing is impossible? They can’t. Not this year. Not next year. Not ever. This should be the end of the Guga hunt. This ruling not only paves the way for NatureScot to reject this year’s licence, but for the Guga hunt to be outlawed completely. What can you do? Here’s where you come in. The most immediate threat to the Gannets is this year’s licence being granted, and that’s down to NatureScot. We need thousands of people contacting NatureScot to make sure these damning new findings can't be ignored. The experts have spoken, and it’s time to listen. EMAIL NATURESCOT We have an easy e-action tool to help you email NatureScot it under a minute ⬆️ We’ve now changed the wording of that email to acknowledge the new development. Some of you had problems sending the email and received an invalid address error. We’ve done everything we can to fix this, so please try again. If you have already sent an email, you may wish to leave a comment on NatureScot’s Facebook or Instagram posts to remind them to stop the Guga hunt. SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing