A centuries-old tradition of harvesting gannet poults from the remote island of Sùla Sgeir, north of Scotland's Butt of Lewis, has been halted by authorities, leading to accusations of cultural vandalism.
NatureScot, the Scottish government's nature agency, refused to grant permission for the 2026 expedition. This decision overturns a long-standing arrangement that allowed the harvest, sanctioned by parliamentary acts, to continue for decades. The tradition dates back to Viking sagas, with the men of Ness undertaking an annual voyage to the uninhabited crag to gather the young, flightless gannets.
The Guga Harvest Tradition
The harvested gannet poults, known as 'guga', are killed humanely, then prepared and preserved for consumption. For the 1,300 residents of Ness, the guga feast is a significant cultural event, often enjoyed with potatoes and milk. The practice has been explicitly permitted under derogations to the Protection of Birds Act 1954 and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Proponents argue that the gannet population is not endangered, having increased significantly in the 20th century, and that the Ness community responsibly manages the resource. Historically, the colony's health has even been linked to the harvest; a seven-year suspension during World War II led to a near-collapse of the population, which recovered upon the return of the hunters in 1946.
Protests and Official Response
Permission for the harvest was withdrawn following a campaign led by the group Protect the Wild, which organized a social media effort, including a Facebook campaign titled 'Abolish The Guga Hunt'. The author of the notes described the campaign as being driven by "virtue-signalling, foolish sentimentalists and the cynical and unscrupulous," who have defamed the Ness community with "extraordinarily abusive language and with totally pointless venom." Accusations leveled against the community included being "cretinous inbreds" and the voyagers being called the 'Thugs of Ness', with their photographs irresponsibly published online.
Plans were reportedly in place to disrupt the harvest had it been sanctioned. Protect the Wild's objective, as described by the author, was to create "the loudest, vilest noise," leading to what is perceived as the Scottish government's "cowardice" in folding to the pressure.
Community Impact and Previous Cancellations
The cancellation has been met with deep dismay by the community. The author expressed personal sorrow, noting that the guga feast had been a final annual connection with his late father. The community had voluntarily canceled the harvest in 2022, 2023, and 2024 due to concerns over avian flu. Last year, the cull was also reduced from 2,000 gannet poults to 500, with community agreement.
The author disputes the portrayal of the harvest as a "blood sport," emphasizing its role as a food source and the inherent risks and physically demanding nature of the expedition. The voyage to Sùla Sgeir involves crossing forty miles of open Atlantic, often with no mobile signal and basic sanitation. The work is described as grueling, with participants staying in rudimentary stone cells. The decision by NatureScot is feared to embolden further objections to such traditional practices.