Watchdog concludes no humane killing method for guga hunt
The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC) has concluded it is 'unaware of a humane way' to kill gannets during the annual Guga hunt on the remote island of Sula Sgeir. The commission, which advises the Scottish Government on animal welfare, reviewed the centuries-old tradition and found significant welfare concerns.
Every year, men from the Isle of Lewis travel to Sula Sgeir to harvest young gannet chicks, known as guga, under a licence from NatureScot. This is Britain's last remaining seabird hunt. In a letter to Cabinet Secretary Gillian Martin, SAWC chair Professor Cathy Dwyer stated the commission could not identify a humane killing method.
Welfare concerns and alternative methods
The Humane Slaughter Association (HSA) found that capturing wild seabirds with noose poles and killing them by blows to the head raised serious welfare issues. Alternative methods such as captive-bolt stunning, cervical dislocation, and shooting were deemed unlikely to improve welfare due to the remote and exposed conditions on Sula Sgeir. The commission also highlighted stress to adult birds when chicks are removed from nests.
These findings add scrutiny to NatureScot's decision on whether to grant a licence for the 2026 hunt. Licence conditions require birds to be killed 'immediately and in a humane manner'.
Campaigners call for end to hunt
Campaign group Protect the Wild described the report as 'the most crushing blow to the Guga hunt yet'. Scottish campaigns manager Devon Docherty said: '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. It's barbaric. This should be the end of the Guga hunt.'
Protesters gathered outside NatureScot's Inverness headquarters this week as the board discussed the licence application. In March, two activists chained themselves to the roof of the building dressed as gannets, forcing its closure for three days.
Growing controversy and legal challenges
The Guga hunt has become increasingly controversial, with opponents calling it cruel and incompatible with modern conservation. Supporters defend it as a cultural tradition dating back centuries on the Isle of Lewis. The Scottish SPCA has also objected to the killing method and opposes the hunt on welfare grounds.
Campaigners claim the hunt has become commercialised, with birds allegedly sold for around £35 each. Wildlife photographer Rachel Bigsby lodged a petition with the Scottish Parliament, calling for changes to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to remove the power to grant licences for the hunt. The petition has attracted more than 100,000 signatures.
NatureScot has stated that if an application for a 2026 licence is received, it will be considered by its board, with a final decision expected in early August.
