What Is The Guga Hunt?
Fellow compassionate souls of the world we need to talk about an old tradition that feels like a dark ghost from the past haunting our modern world. The Caavakushi team has been digging into the details of the Guga hunt, and frankly, what we’ve seen is enough to make any animal lovers’ blood boil.
For those who don’t know, the Guga is the local name for a young Northern Gannet chick. Every August, a group of men from the village of Ness, Isle of Lewis, travels 40 miles north to the jagged, remote island of Sula Sgeir. Their mission? To club, pluck, and pickle hundreds of baby birds. We feel that today there is absolutely no room for this level of needless violence.
The 100,000-Voice Outcry
We noticed that this isn’t just a niche vegan concern anymore. The Caavakushi team found that public demand for an end to the hunt has reached a fever pitch. A national petition to end the Guga hunt has officially surpassed 100,000 signatures, making it the fourth most signed petition in Scottish history (Our source: Protect the Wild).
Despite this, the Scottish Government has refused to amend the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which still contains a specific exemption allowing this slaughter to continue. We think it’s high time the law caught up with the ethics of the people!
A 2% Decline & The Ecological Price Tag
This horrific traditions defenders often claim the hunt is sustainable, but the Caavakushi team has come across data that says otherwise. Between 2001 and 2024, the nesting sites on Sula Sgeir the only place this hunt is legal fell by nearly 2%.
Wait, it gets worse. While Sula Sgeir was shrinking, every other gannet colony in Scotland showed massive growth, ranging from 9% to a staggering 314% (Our source: NatureScot / Protect the Wild Analysis). We feel it is 100% clear: the Guga hunt is suppressing the natural recovery of these magnificent birds.
500 Bird License & Trust Without Verification
After a hiatus due to the devastating Avian Flu (HPAI), the hunt was licensed again in 2025 and 2026. NatureScot granted a license for the taking of 500 birds a reduction from the 2,000 birds allowed in previous years (Our source: Scottish Parliament PE2202).
However, the Caavakushi team was shocked to find that there is zero independent monitoring on the island. The so-called humane killing usually involves a pole and a blow to the head is taken entirely on trust. We think that killing on trust in a protected Special Protection Area (SPA) is a regulatory failure of epic proportions.
The Caavakushi Perspective
We also know that some try to wrap the Guga hunt in the flag of cultural heritage. But the Caavakushi team feels that heritage shouldn’t be a license for cruelty. In a time of climate crisis and biodiversity loss, we think our tradition should be protecting life, not ending it.
Final Thoughts From The Caavakushi Team
The Caavakushi Team believe that the Guga hunt is a relic of a time when people hunted for survival. Today, it’s a grisly hobby subsidised by outdated laws. We think that the 100,000 people who signed the petition are right it’s absolutely time for Scotland to leave this delicacy in the history books.
Caavakushi Team Tips: The Caavakushi team encourages you to check out the current petitions on the Scottish Parliament website to add your voice to the movement to end the Guga hunt for good.
Vegan Resources
- Caavakushi Vegan Food Recipes
- Caavakushi Vegan Drinks Recipes
- Caavakushi Vegan Newsletter & Free 7 Day High-Protein Vegan Meal Plan
- Vegan Stuff Podcast With Caavakushi
- Caavakushi Vegan Search Engine
- Best Vegan Recipe Books
- Best Vegan Wines & Alcohol
- Best Vegan Food & Supplements
Tell Us How You Feel
We want to know how you feel about the site, blog articles, and our recipes. Comment below and let us know your thoughts. Snap a quick picture or video clip of your recreation of our recipes and tag us on social media #Caavakushi #Caavakushirecipe #Caavakushimeal. We can’t wait to see how you added your special touch to our recipes. Help a fellow vegan out by posting your recipes on our vegan forum and make some new plant-based friends. Our podcast has something for everyone, from vegan activists to vegan businesses and plant-based celebrities.
If you like it, help us out by letting us know by leaving a review and 5 stars. Thanks in advance! (really appreciate it.) Oh, and we almost forgot to tell you that we’re giving away our 7-day high-protein vegan meal plan for free for a limited time only when you sign up for our vegan newsletter. Get yours now before it’s too late!
