Activists have staged a theatrical demonstration outside the Scottish Parliament ahead of a pivotal hearing on Britain’s last seabird hunt.
A petition to permanently outlaw the controversial Guga Hunt has reached over 110,000 signatures. The parliamentary petition was started by wildlife photographer Rachel Bigsby and is one of the most signed in the history of the Scottish Parliament.
The protest comes ahead of a Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee meeting on Thursday. The previous Committee kept the petition open in recognition of the significant public interest it generated, passing it to the new session’s MSPs for further scrutiny.
Campaigners are urging MSPs to ban the practice of killing gannet chicks on the remote island of Sula Sgeir.
During the protest, one campaigner wore a white biosuit and gannet head mask while lying on the ground.
A second hooded figure holding a wooden baton stood over them, mimicking the methods used by hunters.
The “gannet” held a sign which read: “Don’t let us die again. Ban the Guga Hunt.”
Ten men from Ness on the Isle of Lewis traditionally travel to Sula Sgeir each year to hunt months-old gannet chicks for tradition and a local delicacy.
In August, NatureScot denied the hunt permission for the first time, citing detrimental impacts on the gannet population.
However, campaigners highlight that hunters can apply for another licence next year, prompting calls for a change in the law.
Wild gannets are protected, but the hunt operates under an exemption in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Devon Docherty, Scottish campaigns manager for Protect the Wild, said: “This is a completely unnecessary, extremely outdated hunt that is inflicting suffering on Scotland’s seabirds and pushing them ever closer to collapse.
“The latest science clearly shows the hunt will repress the recovery of the gannet population for decades. Refusing one year’s licence is not enough – we need a change in the law that protects these birds permanently.
“We’re urging the Petitions Committee to act on the evidence and the overwhelming public demand for the Guga Hunt to be banned for good.”
Animal welfare groups, including the Scottish SPCA, the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission, and the Humane Slaughter Association, have previously raised concerns regarding the methods used in the hunt and cast doubt on whether the killings are humane.
Despite public pressure, the Scottish Government has previously stated it does not intend to amend the current legislation.
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