Guga hunt refusal recommendation brings reprieve to gannets

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  • Post last modified:29 July 2026

It looks like the 2026 guga hunt won’t be going ahead. The board of NatureScot will officially rule on the guga hunt licence application on 3 August. But a report from the agency’s scientific advisors has recommended refusal. The advisors examined three options: Granting the full licence for the killing of 2,000 gannet chicks (guga). Granting a licence for a smaller bag of 500 guga. Refusing the licence. They recommended the third option. The advisors said this was due to the impact on the overall gannet population in the Special Protection Area of North Rona and Sula Sgeir. Sula Sgeir is…

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Irish government disgraces itself with refusal of Gaza study visas

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  • Post last modified:29 July 2026

In a move that is as farcical as it is shameful, Irish immigration authorities have refused large numbers of study visas for students from Gaza seeking to enrol at universities. RTÉ say that: …upwards of 20 Gazan students, who have all been accepted onto fully funded scholarships for third-level courses, have had their visa applications turned down by Irish immigration authorities. Others are awaiting outcomes. The farce lies in the nature of the refusal letters, which read like a sort of cruel joke. RTÉ reports the reasons given for refusing applications to study include: …not supplying original bank statements, a failure…

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