Las Picuas - Del Cristo Cay (19817)
Cuba, Caribbean

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: D1a

Year of last assessment: 2009

National site name: Las Picúa - Cayo del Cristo

Central coordinates: Latitude: 23.0457, Longitude: -80.2132

System: marine, terrestrial

Elevation (m): 0 to 5

Area of KBA (km²): 561.51278

Protected area coverage (%): 98.32

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: Las Picuas-Cayo Del Cristo IBA is located in the Sabana- Camagüey Archipelago, a group of cays off the north-east coast of Villa Clara province. The IBA extends from Cayo Blanquizal to Cayo Cristo. These cays and islets are characterised by a muddy-sandy substrate, and are dominated by mangrove forests and dunes with associated shrubby vegetation. The administrative centre of the IBA is in the coastal town of Carahatas, with around 666 residents who mostly work in fishing through a state fisheries cooperative, but also in agriculture and cattle farming.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.

Additional biodiversity: This IBA supports globally significant breeding colonies of Caribbean Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber, Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus and the Vulnerable West Indian Whistling-duck Dendrocygna arborea. It represents an important waterbird site with 46 species nesting including herons, ibises, spoonbills, cormorants, and pelicans. More than 17 waterbird species roost communally on several of cays and islets. The Near Threatened White-crowned Pigeon Patagioenas leucocephala breeds in the IBA. Non-bird biodiversity: Marine life includes the Vulnerable West Indian manatee Trichechus manatus and globally threatened sea-turtles. The Vulnerable Cuban ground iguana Cyclura nubila occurs on more than 20 cays. Two plants are Cuban endemics, one of which is the Endangered Pilosocereus robinii.

Habitats

Land use: fisheries/aquaculture | nature conservation and research

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Shrubland	2
Marine Neritic	72
Forest	8
Marine Intertidal	2
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	15
Caves & Subterranean Habitats (non-aquatic)	2

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Las Picuas-Cayo del Cristo IBA was approved as a wildlife refuge in 2001 and is currently managed by the Empresa para la Protección de la Flora y la Fauna (ENPFF). The most important threat facing this IBA is overfishing and excessive use of trawl nets. More than 15 trawlers operate year-round; an activity which is unregulated by local fishing authorities and significantly disturbs marine habitats and fauna. Illegal hunting of manatees occurs year-round and of sea-turtles during the nesting season. The queen conch Strombus gigas is also unsustainably harvested and used as bait. Other threats include dumping of construction waste, oil and lubricant spills from boats, exotic flora, hurricanes and other natural phenomena, as well as the cutting of Coccotrinax litoralis and Eugenia spp. to make fishing tools.

Additional information