NatureScot spends thousands in public cash to prop up controversial seabird hunt

Scotland’s nature agency, NatureScot, has spent more than £72,000 of public funds in just the first three months of 2026 on matters relating to the controversial guga hunt. This is according to new figures that advocacy group Protect the Wild has obtained.

The documents reveal that NatureScot has already spent nearly £30,000 this year on research it’ll use to assess how many birds the hunters can kill. This is alongside further spending on legal advice connected to the licensing of the hunt.

Tens of thousands more has gone on hiring additional security and repair costs associated with protests and growing public opposition.

Crucially, these figures do not include staff time, which NatureScot admits is not recorded separately. So the true cost to the public purse is likely to be significantly higher.

Campaigners say the spending raises serious questions about priorities. Public money is being directed towards maintaining and managing a controversial activity, rather than invested in nature restoration and biodiversity recovery.

Devon Docherty, Scottish campaigns manager at Protect the Wild, said:

The licence for this hunt is entirely discretionary, and the Scottish government has confirmed this. 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.

There is a clear expectation that public funds allocated to a nature agency are used to restore and protect nature, not to sustain an outdated and cruel tradition. The guga hunt benefits a very small number of people, at the expense of wildlife and the wider public interest.

NatureScot’s responsibility for protected species

NatureScot is Scotland’s public nature authority, responsible for protecting and enhancing Scotland’s natural environment. As part of this role, it decides whether to grant licences allowing the killing of otherwise protected species, such as gannets, which the guga hunt targets.

The guga hunt is the UK’s last remaining seabird hunt. It involves a group of hunters traveling to the remote island of Sula Sgeir to slaughter gannet seabird chicks. Their flesh is taken back to the Isle of Lewis where it is sold and consumed as a local delicacy.

In 2025, the birds reportedly sold for £35 each. If all 485 birds taken were sold, this would equate to a potential value of around £17,000.

Docherty added:

Nobody should be making money off the killing of a protected native species. And our public money should certainly not be spent on aiding it.

Over a quarter of a million signatures have now been gathered on petitions to end the guga hunt. NatureScot must listen to the clear mandate for change, and use its discretionary power to stop the slaughter of seabirds on Sula Sgeir.

NatureScot has said if a licence application comes in for 2026, it will go before its board for decision.

Featured image via John Ranson for the Canary