NatureScot denies ignoring scientific evidence in banning guga hunt

Western Isles MP Crichton made a Freedom of Information (FoI) request around the decision to ban this year’s hunt.

The FoI, first revealed in the Stornoway Gazette, external and seen by BBC Scotland, shows that the advice given to the NatureScot board was tha taking 500 chicks “will not have an adverse effect on the site integrity of the North Rona and Sula Sgeir SPA, subject to a number of mitigation measures which we can incorporate into licence conditions.

“We are therefore recommending that for 2026 the board issue a licence for the take of 500 birds”.

Two weeks later the NatureScot board said it would not be issuing a licence this year. Hunters had sought a licence to take either 2,000 or 500 birds.

Harvests did not take place in 2022, 2023 and 2024 due to concerns around bird flu.

A total of 485 birds were taken at the 2025 hunt.

Labour MP Crichton called on NatureScot’s future decision-making process over the hunt to involve more contributions from locals.

He also said NatureScot should detail the “scientific modelling” on how the decision to dent the licence was reached.

“No-one is saying NatureScot acted illegally, or outwith its bounds, but the FoI shows there was a debate in NatureScot about the modelling, about the scientific conclusion just a fortnight before they rejected the licence,” he said.

“When NatureScot come to meet with the Ness community and talk to people who are the real experts, I hope they explain how they came to the conclusion, how the modelling works, and how the modelling will work in the future.”

He added: “We have to build that relationship, that trust between NatureScot and the Ness community to find way ahead. And I think if we do that with an explanation of how this scientific conclusion was reached, we will be on the right road.”