LONDON - A centuries-old annual bird chick hunt on a remote Scottish island, known as the Guga Hunt, has been banned this year, the authorities said Monday, citing conservation concerns. First recorded in 1549, the annual hunt involves a 64-kilometre (40-mile) journey across rough seas to the remote, uninhabited island of Sula Sgeir, off Scotland's northwest coast. But it said it had banned the hunt as "based on the most up-to-date science, we have concluded an adverse impact is possible on the Sula Sgeir gannet population in 2026". The gannet population had suffered "mass mortalities" in 2021-2023 due to bird flu, it said, adding the hunters could reapply for a licence in 2027. Wild bird meat was historically a vital source of food for impoverished communities living in a harsh, remote environment.