Petit Canouan (19938)
St Vincent and the Grenadines, Caribbean
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: Petit Canouan
Central coordinates: Latitude: 12.7923, Longitude: -61.2797
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 55
Area of KBA (km2): 4.18097
Protected area coverage (%): 4.33
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: This small, uninhabited island is located approximately 5 miles (8 km) north-north-east of Canouan. Much of the island’s vegetation, which years ago comprised of Dry Scrub Woodland, has in recent times been converted to coastal grassland, with few shrubs intermixed. Portions of the island have been left bare and eroded. This phenomenon has been caused primarily by the annual burning of the vegetation to facilitate poaching of eggs by fishermen. This burning is normally conducted just prior to laying of the first eggs, at the beginning of the migratory season (March/April) (E. Bess and D. Hazell, pers. comm.). Annually, Petit Canouan supports the largest numbers of nesting seabirds, numbering several tens of thousand individuals. It is known among the poachers as the island for the “egg birds”. Law enforcement is limited on the island due to a lack of presence by enforcement agencies. The island is identified as a scuba diving site under the SPAHS.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Additional biodiversity: Though data does not exist for species abundance, combined nesting populations may number several tens of thousands (D. Hazell, O. King and E. Bess, pers. comm.). The most populous of birds must be the Sooty Tern whose numbers are said to darken the skies as they migrate at the end of nesting season (D. Hazell, pers. comm.). They can also be seen in their thousands early in the mornings and late at evenings prior to and after foraging at sea. Thus, although access of the island can be dangerous, these large numbers are a feature that makes poaching attractive, because the returns for effort can be quite rewarding. Based on reports obtained on the size of the breeding population of seabirds on Petit Canouan, particularly that of the Sooty Tern (Plates 24 & 25) and Magnificant Frigatebird, this island is considered critical to the survival of seabirds on St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and by extension, the rest of the Americas. Accordingly, Petit Canouan easily qualifies as a category A4i IBA. The Brown Noddy is also a regular on this island. Non-bird biodiversity: Data on the island's wildlife are unavailable.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: vegetation, which years ago comprised of Dry Scrub Woodland, has in recent times been converted to coastal grassland, with few shrubs intermixed. Portions of the island have been left bare and eroded. This phenomenon has been caused by the annual burning of the vegetation to facilitate poaching of eggs by fishermen. This burning is normally conducted just prior to laying of the first eggs, at the beginning of the migratory season (March/April) (E. Bess and D. Hazell, pers. comm.).
Land use: nature conservation and research | tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | 50 | |
| Shrubland | 50 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: It is not known whether rats exist on the island but if so are likely to be a major concern particularly during the migratory nesting period. Egging is a common and destructive practice that occurs virtually unimpeded on the island. During the migratory period, buckets of eggs from the different species are removed. One fisherman indicated that there are so many eggs that they cannot all be harvested (E. Bess, pers. comm.). Additionally, over the years the practice of burning the land to clear difficult thicket prior to the nesting season has significantly degraded the landscape and exposed the already poor soils to increased erosion. Law enforcement and education on birds is poor on Grenadine islands. These issues will continue to be limiting factors to the success of any programme geared towards the conservation of bird species.