RJ Hamster
Exposed: Thousands in Taxpayer Cash Being Spent on the…
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Exposed: Thousands in Taxpayer Cash Being Spent on the Guga Hunt
New figures reveal over £72,000 already spent this year managing the slaughter of Gannets in Scotland.
APR 22READ IN APP
Scotland’s official nature body is using public money to prop up the slaughter of seabird chicks.
I wish I was exaggerating. I’m not.
New figures obtained by Protect the Wild reveal that NatureScot has spent more than £72,000 of taxpayer money in just the first three months of 2026 on matters relating to the Guga hunt.
Where is the money going?
Not into nature restoration. Not into biodiversity recovery. Not into protecting the countless species in Scotland that are genuinely in crisis. Here’s where it went:
- Nearly £30,000 on research that will be used to assess how many Gannet chicks can be killed this year.
- Thousands more on legal advice tied to licensing the hunt.
- Tens of thousands on hiring additional security and repair costs, driven by protests and the growing tide of public opposition.
And here’s the kicker – these figures don’t even include staff time or other regular expenses. NatureScot has admitted it doesn’t record that separately. Which means the true cost to you, the taxpayer, is infinitely more.
We are paying for the privilege of watching a nature agency licence the killing of native seabirds by 10 men.
Every year, the ‘Men of Ness’ travel to the remote rocky island of Sula Sgeir, where thousands of Gannets are about to take their first flight. They snatch the chicks from their nests using long poles, beat them to death, and take their bodies back to the Isle of Lewis to sell and eat as a local delicacy. This brutal practice is known as the Guga hunt, and it has been allowed to continue for far too long.
NatureScot blames protests – like the recent rooftop occupation – for rising costs. But protest is a symptom of the problem, not the cause. If the Guga hunt continues, so will the resistance.
A nature agency should protect wildlife – not facilitate its killing
Call me naïve, but I think an organisation that exists to “protect and promote Scotland’s nature” should actually do exactly that – not facilitate its destruction.
There is a clear, reasonable expectation that public money given to a nature authority is used to safeguard wildlife. That’s their job. That’s the whole point.
Gannets are a protected native species and Sula Sgeir is a Special Protection Area. If we allow the slaughter of a protected species inside a Special Protection Area, then what is actually being protected, besides the interests of a few hunters? These designations risk becoming meaningless.
And let me be absolutely clear about something, because NatureScot would prefer you didn’t understand it.
The licence for the Guga hunt is entirely discretionary. The Scottish Government has confirmed that NatureScot has the power to not grant licences at all. That means continuing to license the Guga hunt is an active choice by NatureScot, and one that is becoming increasingly costly not only to the taxpayer, but to our already struggling wildlife.
What you can do right now
NatureScot has said that when this year’s licence is received, it will be brought before its board for decision. The next board meeting is May 14th.
We need as many signatures as possible by that date to force this onto their agenda. So here is what I’m asking you to do today:
- Sign our petition if you haven’t already.
- Share it with everyone you know who cares about wildlife.
- Talk about this. Tell people where their money is going. Most of them have no idea.
We cannot let this continue any longer
Gannet travel thousands of miles to nest. They raise just one chick a year. They battle everything nature throws at them to keep that chick alive.
Then their chick gets clubbed over the head while they circle helplessly above.
This is legal. It is licensed. And your taxes are paying for it.
We are fighting to end it for good and we’re doing absolutely everything we can to make sure it does. Please donate today and help us protect British wildlife.
