General · 3 August 2026

Annual hunt for Scottish gannet chicks stopped after 400 years

Mike Pennington via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

NatureScot, the government wildlife body, refused to grant a licence this year because new data showed the cull could damage bird populations. Hunters from Lewis normally spend ten days killing up to 2,000 young seabirds at the Sula Sgeir nature reserve. More than 350,000 people signed petitions against the practice, and two activists were recently arrested after occupying the agency's roof.

By BriefTea Editorial · 3 August 2026 at 18:19

Reported by The Guardian · How we write briefs