Scottish ministers urged to rethink ‘poor decision' on guga hunt licence
The group is urging the Scottish Government and its nature agency NatureScot to reverse the licence, which currently permits 500 of the infant birds to be culled.
The guga hunt has been an annual tradition in Ness, north Lewis, since the 15th century, with 10 men setting out for the rocky island of Sula Sgeir 40 miles away.
Uninhabited by humans, the island is home to thousands of pairs of breeding gannets, with the men spending two weeks there in August, taking the birds from open cliffs using a pole and noose, before the creatures are gutted, salted and preserved in brine.
Traditionally the preserved birds are said to have formed an essential part of the winter diet for the people of Ness, but guga is now regarded as a delicacy by some, although it is said to be an 'acquired taste'.
A NatureScot spokesperson said it recognises the 'cultural significance of the guga hunt', adding this was 'reflected in the provision to licence this traditional activity through the Wildlife and Countryside Act'.
They added that 2025 is the first year it had received a licence application from the Men of Ness – who carry out the guga hunt – since 2021.
The spokesperson continued: 'We have thoroughly assessed the application taking into account survey data and population analysis and we have granted a licence with a limit of 500 birds.
'This is significantly fewer than in previous years where up to 2,000 have been granted.
'This revised limit for 2025 safeguards the sustainability of the Sula Sgeir gannet population and allows for its continued recovery following avian flu.'
However OneKind chief executive Jason Rose said: 'Snatching wild baby birds from their nests and bashing their heads in, using the excuse of tradition, will appall and embarrass most people in the Western Isles and across Scotland.
'There is simply no need for this cruel activity to take place. We live in a modern society where we have many more choices about where our food comes from.
'The guga hunt is a grisly story from history that should be left in books or a museum.
'The Scottish Government and its nature agency have made a poor decision.
'Do they really think this kind of cruel and unnecessary activity is how anyone wants Scotland to be seen in the year 2025?
'OneKind will be writing to both NatureScot and Scottish ministers asking them to rethink. It's not too late to save these beautiful wild bird chicks.'
The Scottish Government has been contacted for comment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
21 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Couple WIN bitter battle over neighbours' ‘untrimmed' hedge – after 5-year war ‘descended into chaos'
Police were called to the quiet suburban street after the feud escalated BISH BASH BUSH Couple WIN bitter battle over neighbours' 'untrimmed' hedge – after 5-year war 'descended into chaos' A COUPLE has won a bitter neighbour dispute over an untrimmed hedge after five years of furious feuding. Keith Smith, 71, and his wife Julie, 68, claimed their neighbours untrimmed cypress trees made their lives a misery. 2 The hedge was made up of a row of cypress trees Credit: Scottish Goverment DPEA The row of trees, belonging to David Hunter and Niena Hunter Mistry, sparked a five-year battle between the two couples in the quiet suburb of Prestonfield, Edinburgh. The neighbour war grew so bitter that it involved the Edinburgh City Council, the Scottish Government and even the police. The Smiths claim the trees cast a shadow across their garden, forcing the pensioners to live out their retirement in darkness. Demanding that the trees be chopped down, the Smiths turned to the local authority but were left frustrated when they were refused. The couple paid a massive £350 fee for a High Hedge Notice application which was denied after a visit from a city council officer. Appealing the decision, the Smiths won and managed to successfully have the trees trimmed back to 8.5ft in 2023. After the bush was trimmed the Smiths claim that gaps where tree once stood were suddenly replaced by gardening tools, including ladders, pipes and concrete. The pair went on to claim that the trim was inadequate and called for the council to come back, which they did and agreed that the remaining trees should be further cut back. Mr Hunter left a single tree standing untrimmed however which he claimed was not part of the "boundary hedge" and therefore not subject to the High Hedge Notice. The Smiths then insisted the remaining tree be cut back too with the dispute turning ugly again. My neighbours said they'd sue me if I touched the top of our overgrown joint hedge - so I got creative and they can't say a word The couple, who have lived in their home for 44 years, continued their brutal battle to have the foliage lopped back. Things got so bad that in June of last year the police were called to the quiet suburb where they issued "two men" with "recorded police warnings." Mr Smith previously claimed to Edinburgh Live that his neighbours behaviour had been "atrocious" and branded the couple's actions "absolutely appalling." The hedge owners refuse to chop down their bush flat out and claim they feel harassed and intimidated by the Smiths. The Smiths previously said: "We, the Smiths, have suffered hugely financially, emotionally and physically by this process and sincerely hope, this will now lead to resolution." An appeal launched by Mr Hunter in a bit to save his tree was rejected and the last remaining part of the hedge will now have to be cut back to 8.5ft. 2 The Smiths were delighted when the last remaining part of the hedge was ordered to be cut back Credit: EdinburghLive/Media Scotland Mr Hunter insisted that the remaining tree was not part of the hedge and begged that it be allowed to stand. He said in a document seen by the Mail Online: "The individual tree identified in the varied notice cannot reasonably be said to be part of the boundary hedge. "It appears as a separate individual tree and has never been trimmed. "We would be very grateful if you would take all our points and concerns into account and request that you quash the revised high hedge notice." Despite his pleas Mr Hunter was ordered to cut back the remaining piece of his hedge to 8.5ft in line with the previous High Hedge Notice. The Smiths were delighted after a Government official stated that the tree did in fact cast a shadow over a "significant" portion of their garden. The official also stated that the previous High Hedge Notice applied to the whole hedge, including the remaining tree. Despite the best efforts of Mr Hunter the government official ruled that the hedge damaged the Smith's enjoyment of their home. The government ruled that the remaining part of the hedge is now subject to the High Hedge Notice and should be trimmed to 8.5ft.
Daily Record
18 hours ago
- Daily Record
Former First Minister's in-laws in Gaza 'can't even find grass or leaves to eat'
Dundee councillor Nadia El-Nakla, the wife of Humza Yousaf, said it was 'traumatising' to watch her relatives go through a 'living nightmare'. The wife of former Scottish first minister Humza Yousaf has said the lives of her family in Gaza are 'hanging in the balance' as she accused Israel of starving two million people in the Strip. Nadia El-Nakla said her family could not even find grass, leaves or any animals to eat, amid an Israeli blockade on the amount of food and supplies going into the region. The Dundee councillor said it was 'traumatising' to watch her relatives go through a 'living nightmare'. She described the territory as 'hell on earth'. Asked on BBC Scotland's Drivetime programme if she thought she would ever get back to Gaza to see her family again, she said: 'I think Gaza is gone – I don't think Gaza will exist any more. 'The situation is just incredibly difficult, heartbreaking, traumatising for us to watch, and for them their life is now hanging in the balance.' She said her cousin Sally, a mother of four, has been moved to different tents 15 times after her house was destroyed. 'She has no food,' Ms El-Nakla said. 'She had a loaf of bread the other day that she was trying to save for her children. My other cousin told her, 'look, just eat grass, eat leaves, eat plants', and she said 'we can't even find them'. 'There's no cash either, so even if I sent her £1,000, she can't access that money, and there's no way for her to buy anything. So it's just a living nightmare – it's hell on earth.' She added: 'It's just, it's so devastating because her husband is going out every day, and they're so scared that he'll not come back because of the bombing, to try and find food, and he can't find any.' She said that even for those who can access money, the price of a kilo of sugar is about 200 dollars (£148), making it inaccessible for most. She urged world leaders to do more to force Israel to allow more aid into Gaza, amid warnings from aid agencies about mass starvation. Speaking about her cousin Sally, she said: 'She sent me a voicenote saying 'I hate the world – no-one is coming to help us', and I could hear her children in the background. 'That's what breaks my heart the most, is they know that no-one's coming to help them, and to have your child hungry, to be hungry yourself, how that feels to have hunger, and how you're supposed to look after your kids, and they're crying to you because they're hungry – like I say, it's a living nightmare.' She added: 'Now nothing exists. It's bare survival. 'They feel that they're all going to die and we're all watching them through the process of being terrified for their lives from bombs, from being shot at and having to run, which I've had calls with her where she's like, 'I can hear the gunfire', and she's having to run, and then now calls that there's no food there. 'It's a silent killer. They're killing them so slowly and quietly, but they're killing them at every single point. And it's just devastating to watch. It's heartbreaking. It's sickening.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Ms El-Nakla said she feels 'physically sick' hearing about her family's situation in Gaza, adding that she feels 'completely inadequate as a cousin, as a human being, that I can't do anything'. She said she was angry with the UK Government, which she said 'isn't doing anything' to 'try to stop the genocide'. She said aid must urgently be allowed in to stop the 'catastrophic starvation of two million people'. "We are living in a dystopia where we are just watching two million people slowly die,' she said. 'For our own humanity, how can we live with that? Our Government has to do something.' The UK Government and Israeli embassy in London have been approached
Scotsman
a day ago
- Scotsman
Mysterious stone head found on tiny Scottish island of Rousay
The carved head found at Skaill Farm, Westness, Isle of Rousay, Orkney. PIC: UHI Archaeology Institute. | UHI Archaeology Institute The head was found during an archaeological dig at Skaill Farm Sign up to our History and Heritage newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A carved stone head found on a tiny Scottish island has been described as a 'fascinating enigma'. The head was found during an archaeological dig at Skaill Farm at Westness on Rousay in the Orkney Isles. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad With its 'beautifully carved locks of hair' and 'real character', the artefact is the latest find at the site. It was discovered during the university's annual summer excavation of the land at Skaill Farm. Skaill Farm has long been of interest to archaeologists given its long timeline, with the site a hive of activity during the Norse Period, when it was home to Viking chieftain Sigurd of Westness. The landscape features The Wirk tower and the remains of St Mary's Church, both which have been linked to the Norse era and which were later added to during the medieval period. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Dr Sarah Jane Gibbon, of the UHI Archaeology Institute said the discovery of the stone head indicated that a 'building of splendour' once stood nearby. The head is similar to stonework found at St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall, which dates to the early 12th Century. READ MORE: The ancient Orkney site where Picts and Vikings settled now under threat Dr Gibbon, one of the excavation co-directors, added : 'This is such an exciting find. 'Over the years excavating at Skaill and The Wirk – the nearby hall tower – we have found several interesting, moulded pieces of red sandstone but nothing like this. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The rich, red sandstone, with yellow inclusions, was likely quarried from the island of Eday and is the same as the moulded fragments from the nearby St Mary's old parish church.' 'For now, the Skaill head must remain a fascinating enigma in terms of date, origin and use, but its discovery, along with many other fine pieces of carved red sandstone, as well as those built into the nearby kirk, strongly suggests a building of some splendour once stood in the vicinity.' Rousay has often been dubbed the Athens of the North given its rich archaeological deposits, including at least 15 Neolithic chambered cairns, the earliest which dates to around 3,500 BC. In 2019, archaeologists made a breakthrough at Skaill Farm after the remains of a Norse great hall, likely used for drinking and gatherings from the 10th to 12th Century, stood on the land. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The place name of Skaill derives from the Norse for hall and long suggested the area was home to a high-status site. Following its discovery, the hall was linked to Sigurd of Westness, whose chieftainship of the area was documented in the Orkneyinga Saga. Archaeologists found stone benches running down each side of the hall, which is around 13-metres long and runs down a slope towards the coastline. The 13th century historical record documents that Sigurd of Westness was a friend of the 12th Century Earl of Orkney, Paul. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In 1136, Paul was staying with Sigurd at Westness when the notorious viking Sveinn Ásleifarson kidnapped the earl and spirited him away, leaving the Earldom open for Rognvald II to step in and take control. Other finds from Skaill Farm include soapstone from Shetland, pottery and a fragment of a Norse bone comb.
