Gannet petition - Protect the Wild

Campaign update (August 2026): Success! NatureScot has refused the 2026 Guga hunt licence application.

Now we must ensure the hunt does not return in 2027. The science remains clear that the colony cannot sustain another unnecessary hunt, and serious unresolved concerns remain over animal welfare and compliance with licence conditions.

Your voice matters. If you use the tool below, please consider taking a moment to add your own words. Personal, individual messages carry far more weight and help show the strength of public concern.

If you’re having trouble using our email tool (for example if it’s not loading properly or you get an error message) you can still take action.

Simply copy and paste the message below, add your own words, and send it directly from your email to:

licensing@nature.scot, EO@nature.scot, nick.halfhide@nature.scot, colin.galbraith@nature.scot

Petition to NatureScot: 'Reject the Licence to Kill Gannets on Sula Sgeir'.

262223 people have taken action so far. Help us reach 300000

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Letter

I urge NatureScot to refuse any application for a 2027 Guga hunt licence.

Your 2026 assessment concluded that neither a hunt of 2,000, 500, or 250 juvenile Gannets could be shown, beyond reasonable scientific doubt, to avoid an adverse effect on the integrity of the North Rona and Sula Sgeir SPA, as required by the Habitats Regulations. The most robust scientific assessment found that no hunt was the only lawful outcome.

There is no scientific basis for a different decision in 2027. NatureScot's own advice states that the recommended 2027 Gannet survey - which is needed to assess recovery after bird flu - will not be available in time to inform a 2027 licence decision.

The science remains insufficient to justify adding another pressure to a colony already impacted by bird flu, bycatch, entanglement, offshore wind and climate change.

NatureScot cannot be satisfied that the Guga hunt complies with the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, including the prohibition on causing unnecessary suffering. The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission, Scottish SPCA, Humane Slaughter Association and other welfare experts have concluded that the Guga hunt cannot be carried out humanely. It relies on an outdated and inherently unreliable method of killing using manual blunt force trauma, creating an unavoidable risk of pain, fear and unnecessary suffering during the capture, restraint and killing of birds.

In addition, footage from previous hunts raises serious concerns about compliance with licence conditions, including hunters carelessly running through breeding colonies and placing chicks at risk of being trampled. These matters warrant investigation, enforcement action, and further support refusal of any future application.

I therefore urge NatureScot to follow the evidence and refuse any application for a 2027 Guga hunt licence.

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Petition to NatureScot: 'Reject the Licence to Kill Gannets on Sula Sgeir'.

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