NatureScot has a board meeting tomorrow – but the Guga hunt is not currently on the agenda.
Please take one minute to email Board members and urge them to discuss the Guga hunt licence as a matter of urgency, or at the very least formally table it for discussion at the next Board meeting.
It’s crucial we keep the pressure on at this stage. The licence application for this year’s hunt could arrive at any time, and Board members need to know the public are watching closely and expect them to act in the public interest – by protecting Gannets and not granting a licence.
Our pre-filled email template calls on NatureScot:
Not to grant a licence for the 2026 Guga hunt;
To urgently discuss the issue at Board level;
To recognise the overwhelming public concern surrounding the hunt.
Every email helps show that this issue will not quietly go away. Send yours now – it only takes a minute.
If you’ve only recently joined our emails, you may not have heard about the Guga hunt before. (We’d recommend watching our animation above if you haven’t already!)
Every year, a group of ten men travel to the remote Scottish island of Sula Sgeir to kill young Gannet chicks, known as “gugas”, for a so-called local delicacy. The chicks are not even old enough to fly. They are clubbed to death in front of their parents before their bodies are brought back to the mainland and sold for around £20–30 each.
It is brutal, unnecessary, and shockingly still legal.
The Guga hunt remains the last legal seabird hunt in the UK because of an exemption in the Wildlife and Countryside Act. Right now, we have a matter of weeks to try and persuade NatureScot, the government agency with the discretionary power to approve or reject the licence for the hunt, not to grant permission for it to go ahead this year.
As a thank you, we’ll send you a Gannet plush toy – a small, soft reminder of a bird worth fighting for. We’re not sure how many we will stock – so don’t wait around!LIKECOMMENTRESTACK
I was born on 6 August 1956 in San Francisco, California to Janet and (the late) Richard Hovis.
I grew up in Santa Monica, California where I attended elementary, junior high school, and high school (graduating in 1974), in addition to involvement in sports and recreation (Little League +, the Boy’s Club ++). Further, it was in elementary school – St. Augustine’s By-the -Sea Parish School that I found, and made the choice to truly journey with God.
I attended Arizona State University from 1974 to 1977 – seeking to become an architect, however, I was not accepted, and, as such, I graduated with a Liberal Arts degree.
Upon graduation from Arizona State University, I attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and studied City and Regional Planning at the Master’s level. I successfully completed one (1) year in a two (2) year program – I did not complete the Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning – due to personal reasons.
I returned to Santa Monica where I started (October 1979) my career as graphic designer with Exxon Company, USA. I spent five years with Exxon Company, USA.
While working with Exxon Company, USA I was accepted into architectural school – Sci-Arc in Southern California, however, I did not attend preferring to stay with Exxon..
In 1982 I married Laura Flosi and in April 1983 we had our one and only child – Lauren Alain Hovis – a gift from God.
We moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1984 from Los Angeles, where I went to work as a graphic designer with Kitchell CEM (from 1985 -1987).
From 1987 – 1995 I was an independent contractor, and a registered representative in mortgage finance, financial management, graphic design, and drafting.
Further, I attended the University of Phoenix and successfully obtained a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) in 1982.
I was also a member of the Scottsdale Jaycees, where I became very involved in community events and projects.
In 1994, I accepted a cartography position with the Defense Mapping Agency in Reston, Virginia. As such, I relocated from Phoenix to Reston.
In 1998, I was accepted and worked as a Visual Information Officer with the Central Intelligence Agency. In 2002, I worked as a Support Officer until my retirement (due to a need for shoulder surgery) in September 2018.
Away from my Federal Government service, I have been involved in various organizations and activities in Northern Virginia.
In November of 2011, I married Rebecca Ouellette in Santa Monica, California. I reside in San Tan Valley, AZ with my two hamster - Jess and Timothy, our fish, our lizard - RJ Lizard., and our cats - Pearl and Grey.
As to hobbies, I enjoy playing sports, attending sporting events, mentoring individuals from financial management to hamsters, building models, photography, travel, multimedia design, managing partner for RJ Hamster, and jazz – smooth jazz to a samba or a bossa nova.
Love and God Bless,
Peter – aka RJ Hamster Jo hi
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RJ Hamster 