The annual Scottish seabird hunt, known as the guga hunt, has been cancelled for the first time in 400 years. NatureScot, the body responsible for licensing, refused to issue a licence for this year's hunt on the uninhabited Hebridean island of Sula Sgeir.
NatureScot stated that its decision followed an assessment of the application against legislation and the most recent scientific evidence. New population modelling indicated a potential "adverse impact" on gannet populations, both at the requested limit of 2,000 juvenile gannets and a reduced limit of 500.
The guga hunt involves killing up to 2,000 gannet chicks over a 10-day period. Campaigners have described the cancellation as a "victory for common sense."