After 500 years, island bird harvest is banned by quango

NatureScot has rejected an application from the "Men of Ness" to carry out their traditional autumn hunt for gannet chicks, or "guga", on the uninhabited island of Sula Sgeir, marking the first time in around 500 years the harvest has been banned. The Scottish nature agency's board cited concerns that scientific modelling could not rule out an adverse effect on gannet populations, which are still recovering from an avian flu outbreak, while animal welfare campaigners welcomed the decision as a victory for conservation and compassion.

The hunt normally sees ten men from Ness, on the Isle of Lewis, travel 40 miles to the island each year to cull up to 2,000 juvenile birds for food, a practice dating to the mid-1400s. Islanders disputed the modelling, with one questioning why a reduced cull of 500 birds was not permitted, and Western Isles MSP Donald MacKinnon called the ruling "very disappointing" after months of protester criticism directed at the community. NatureScot said the decision does not prevent a future licence application, and it must assess any such request against the best available scientific evidence.