Chichester Harbour Conservancy has welcomed the official adoption of the Chichester District Local Plan, a move that CEO Matt Briers says will bring a degree of much-needed certainty to planning and development in and around Chichester Harbour National Landscape. The adopted Local Plan covers the area of the Chichester District that includes the Chichester Harbour […]
2025 has been the most successful year yet for Common Terns since Chichester Harbour Conservancy introduced tern rafts in 2019. At least 75 of these seabird chicks fledged from the rafts this year, and have flown out into the wider Solent before they migrate south for the winter. A safe habitat Common Tern numbers had […]
There are two types of oyster here in Chichester Harbour – native oysters and pacific oysters. But what is the difference, and why does it matter? Native Oysters Native oysters were abundant here for thousands of years, supporting a thriving commercial fishery. But populations plummeted by 95% due to factors including over-fishing, habitat loss, predation, […]
World Ranger Day is on 31 July every year. Let’s take a look at how our rangers and volunteers have been working in the Chichester Harbour National Landscape recently. With a unique blend of coastal, wetland and terrestrial habitats, our rangers Rosie and Jack have a wide and varied work plan. Supported by a team […]
Our tern rafts were recently the subject of a podcast episode, made by The Wandering Ecologist, Pen Green. Pen joins our ecologist, Pete Hughes to find out all about the success of our tern rafts in restoring the Common Tern populations of Chichester Harbour. Part of the Return of the Tern project, the rafts provide […]
An exciting new historic building restoration project in Chichester Harbour National Landscape has been recognised with a Heritage Trust award.North Barn at Itchenor Park Farm won the commercial category in the recent Sussex Heritage Trust Awards 2025. The awards celebrate excellence in architecture, conservation, and craftsmanship across Sussex and the best in new design, rejuvenation […]
A new byelaw has come into force within the Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) district relating to the gathering of marine organisms in the intertidal area. This is good news for wildlife within the harbour, enabling the regulation and recording for a range of marine organisms including shellfish, bait species and seaweeds. This […]
Chichester Harbour Conservancy has produced three exciting new animations explaining the issues affecting our precious coastal habitats and what we can do to protect them. Narrated by “Terri the Tern”, the short films take you over, alongside and under the waters of Chichester Harbour, providing a unique view into the threats facing our wildlife. The […]
A blog post by Helen Winter, Chichester Harbour Education Officer. As the exam season is now upon us, I reflect on all the students that have visited us at Chichester Harbour in the last year, my first year as Education Officer at the Education Centre here at Chichester Harbour Conservancy. This time last year I […]
We caught up with Lottie and Poppy Johns from Harbour Oysters to find out how the 4000 native oysters under the jetties at Emsworth Yacht Harbour are getting on. The oysters were introduced into cages under the jetties in March, a project funded through the Friends of Chichester Harbour. The oyster cages need regular checks […]
If you take to the waters of Chichester Harbour in the summer, you can help our coastal birds breed successfully for future generations… Each year, coastal birds including Little Terns, Oystercatchers and Ringed Plover attempt to nest on Chichester Harbour’s shingle spits and islands. There are very few places around the harbour that are free […]
Two sections of footpath 1 between Itchenor and West Wittering will be temporarily closed on weekdays between: 19 May 25 – 13 June 25 The footpath closures are to allow surface improvement works to be undertaken by contractors appointed by West Sussex County Council. This map shows the sections that will be closed with the […]