Images showing dead and plucked gannets for sale on Lewis at the weekend confirm the controversial guga hunt has taken place.  

Despite criticism from Scottish animal welfare charity OneKind and the Scottish public, the hunt went ahead. NatureScot granted a licence due to a clause in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which permits the guga hunt.  

OneKind’s CEO, Jason Rose, said: 

“How incredibly disappointing that despite the ethical and welfare concerns expressed by animal welfare experts and the public, this cruel and unnecessary activity was still allowed to happen. 

“How can the taking of these baby animals from their families using a pole, then clubbing their heads, causing fear, distress and suffering, possibly be considered acceptable? 

“OneKind has met with senior management at NatureScot to express the concerns of our tens of thousands of supporters. It is clear that an outdated clause in law is allowing this horrific activity to continue, so our challenge now is to Scottish Ministers to do the right thing and stop this cruelty. We will be working hard to prevent such a deadly licence being granted next year.” 

Notes to Editor

1. OneKind is a Scottish animal protection charity working to end cruelty to Scotland’s animals. You can learn more about our work here. 
2. You can see our letter to the Scottish Government here.