The Sula Sgeir gannet hunt, or “guga hunt,” is a centuries-old Scottish tradition where men from Ness (Isle of Lewis) sail to the uninhabited island of Sula Sgeir in August to harvest young gannets (guga) for food.
Avian flu remains a threat, and scientists have warned that changes to migratory patterns caused by climate change may increase the risk of disease transmission globally. The Scottish Government’s animal health and welfare team has measures in place for this eventually, to identify and mitigate the spread of emerging diseases among both wild birds and livestock. “We do international disease monitoring, so we can spot trends,” Sheila Voas said. “We speak to ornithologists about what’s happening with migration to understand whether we’re at peak migration and whether there’s anything unusual.”
As climate change accelerates and human activity intensifies in their habitats, gannets face increasing pressures. Overfishing has depleted stocks of haddock, anchovies, and sardines, upon which gannets are reliant, and offshore developments such as windfarms and oil extraction encroach on feeding grounds, causing food scarcity. It is possible that, in the coming years, the species will experience a further decline. We need to be prepared to adapt, in order to reverse the damage we have caused as a species, and accept that some traditions must be consigned to history out of necessity.