A centuries-old tradition of harvesting young gannets for food on a remote island off the coast of Scotland has come under renewed scrutiny after a national wildlife authority halted this year’s annual hunt. The decision has generated significant controversy between local residents and animal welfare advocates.

For more than a millennium, the “Men of Ness” from the Isle of Lewis have journeyed to Sula Sgeir, a rocky islet approximately 40 miles north of Ness, to collect gannet chicks, known locally as “guga.” The birds are traditionally caught during a short summer season and have long been an important part of local culture and diet. The meat, often described as gamey and fishy, is customarily served with potatoes and milk, forming a cornerstone of family gatherings and community heritage.

This year, NatureScot, the Scottish government agency responsible for environmental conservation, canceled the 2026 hunt, citing concerns that the activity could have an adverse effect on gannet populations. The agency’s decision was informed by a new 25-year population model indicating potential negative impacts on seabird numbers. While no licenses were granted for the hunt — which in the past sought permission to take between 200 and 2,000 birds — NatureScot left open the possibility of future approvals depending on evolving data.

The move followed a three-year hiatus from 2022 through 2024 due to avian influenza outbreaks, with 485 birds harvested in 2025. The cancellation has provoked strong reactions on both sides of the debate.

Local supporters, including group Save Our Guga Harvest, have expressed frustration over what they see as external interference. Murdo MacRitchie, a member of the group, compared banning the guga hunt to prohibiting turkey at Christmas, emphasizing the practice’s deep cultural roots and generational continuity. “It’s part of our DNA,” he said, recounting family meals centered around the annual harvest. Residents and their political representatives have accused activists of unjustly targeting an already marginalised community, noting online abuse and threats directed at locals.

Western Isles Member of Parliament Torcuil Crichton questioned NatureScot’s process, suggesting the outcome may have been pre-determined without proper community consultation. He invited agency officials to visit Ness to engage directly with residents, underscoring the importance of on-the-ground understanding in environmental management.

Animal rights groups, however, argue that the hunt is outdated and inhumane. Campaigners such as Protect the Wild, based in London, have mounted high-profile protests, including actions that resulted in damage to NatureScot’s Inverness offices, with repair costs estimated at £110,000. The organization’s Scottish campaign manager, Devon Docherty, pointed to a petition with more than 100,000 signatures calling for the practice’s ban, describing it as a “relic of the past.”

Critics highlight the hunting methods used, which involve retrieving chicks from nests with long poles and killing them with blows to the head. They contend that the procedure causes undue distress to the animals. Jason Rose, chief executive of the animal welfare charity OneKind, emphasized that tradition alone should not justify practices that inflict suffering, noting the activity’s duration and its impact on sentient creatures.

The debate also includes cultural historians who acknowledge the hunt’s historical significance but question its necessity in the modern era. Local author Donald S Murray noted that the tradition arose from the unique environmental challenges faced by islanders, for whom fishing was perilous due to rough seas. However, he suggested that while the heritage could be commemorated, the active hunting should cease.

As tensions continue, NatureScot’s ruling has underscored the challenge of balancing conservation goals with the preservation of longstanding cultural customs in Scotland’s island communities.