The hunting of wild ducks and geese at Chichester Harbour has now been banned.

Members of the Chichester Harbour Conservancy Board (CHCB) have voted not to renew the ten year licence application for wildfowling and have given a one year termination notice from May 19, 2025.

The decision was made at the annual general meeting held at Eames Farm, Thorney Island following representations from the Chichester Wildfowlers’ Association and from West Sussex Wildlife Protection.

Following the debate, the CHCB said they found wildfowling on the land they manage to be: “incompatible with the organisation’s primary strategic focus on the conservation and restoration of nature.”

Wildfowling has been recorded in Chichester harbour for over 350 years and the Chichester Wildfowlers Association was formed in 1956.

Mike Swan senior adviser to the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust told ST: “This is such sad news; Chichester Wildfowlers have a long and distinguished history of doing great conservation works in and around Chichester Harbour, so practical conservation in the area will undoubtedly suffer. Sadder still they seem to have lost out to campaigning by West Sussex Wildlife Protection, an animal welfare and protection organisation which has no track record in real conservation.”