Dear Gordon,

You travelled to one of the most remote islands in Scotland in search of a “delicacy.” What you took part in was the killing of defenceless seabird chicks for entertainment. Young Gannets pulled from their nests before they can fly, caught with poles and killed with blunt force to the head.

This is the Guga hunt. And you helped turn it into a spectacle. 

This is not about survival, necessity, or nourishing communities. It is about killing wild animals for tradition and taste. And that is simply not okay.

This is the UK’s last seabird hunt, and it must end.

Gannets already face extreme threats from disease, climate change, and industrial fishing. They cannot afford another threat for the sake of human greed.

Gannets are now on the amber-list of Birds of Conservation Concern, and Sula Sgeir – the island where they are hunted – is Scotland’s worst-performing Gannet colony. 

The Guga hunt is directly undermining their ability to recover. And it is causing unimaginable suffering to sensitive, intelligent animals.

You are one of the most influential chefs in the world. Your actions matter. Your voice carries weight.

Right now, your involvement is being used to legitimise a practice that is increasingly out of step with modern values.

So this is a simple question. Will you publicly support ending the Guga hunt?

Will you support removing the legal exemption that allows it to continue?

The public is turning against it. The science is clear. And the pressure is growing.

This will end.

The only question is whether you stand on the right side of it.

Robert Pownall,

 Scottish Parliament Candidate, Edinburgh Central