Île Hunter (21819)
New Caledonia (to France), Australasia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2012
National site name: Île Hunter
Central coordinates: Latitude: -22.3833, Longitude: 172.0833
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 297
Area of KBA (km2): 0.43484
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Hunter est situé sur le rebord occidental de la plaque indo-pacifique, à l’extrémité méridionale de la chaîne sous-marine portant le Vanuatu. La date de la découverte de cette île volcanique par les occidentaux est mal connue mais elle se situe vraisemblablement au moment de l’intensification des échanges sino-australiens, pour le commerce du bois de santal. Elle est absente de la carte de d’Entrecasteaux (1793) et présente sur celle de Dumont d’Urville (1829). Hunter est un cône volcanique actif (fumerolles sulfurées) aux pentes supérieures abruptes et dont les parties inférieures sont des falaises. L’île de Hunter possède deux grands cratères et plusieurs autres de plus petite taille. Elle mesure environ 1 000 m de long sur 600 m de large, soit une superficie d’environ 60 ha.
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: 13 espèces d’oiseaux marins y ont été identifiées. Dix espèces s’y reproduisent de manière certaine, il s’agit du Pétrel hérault, des Frégates du Pacifique et ariel, du Phaéton à brins rouges, des Fous masqué, à pieds rouges et brun ainsi que des Noddis brun, noir et gris. La Gygis blanche y est nicheur probable tandis que le Puffin fouquet y est nicheur possible. Le Pétrel à ailes noires ne semble pas s’y reproduire. Non-bird biodiversity: La richesse biologique terrestre reste majoritairement à découvrir. Par contre, P. Laboute (Rancurel 1973b) indique que la faune ichthyologique semi pélagique y est très abondante (Carangues : Caranx spp., Elagatis bipinnulatus ; Barracudas : Sphyraena barracuda ; Thons : Thunnus albacares et vivaneaux : Lutjanus bohar). Il y rapporte aussi la présence de nombreux requins gris (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchus) et la découverte d’une nouvelle espèce, pour la région, de poisson chirurgien (Acanthurus leucopareius).
Delineation rationale: 2012-12-17 (BL Secretariat): original polygon clipped to hi-res coastline (marine areas removed) following identification in October 2012 of new marine IBA offshore this site; site area consequently changed from 60 ha to 43 ha.
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Climate change is listed as the third greatest threat to seabirds globally (Croxall et al. 2012). It is predicted to decrease the land area of low-lying Pacific islands and cause complete inundation of some islands (IPCC 1997) leading to substantial population declines (Hatfield et al. 2012). Although no current data or predictions are available specific to this IBA climate change represents a potential threat to this site owing to the risk of future increased frequency of storms. Ile Hunter is classed as actively volcanic, with recorded small eruptions during the 1800's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_and_Hunter_Islands). Volcanic acitivity continues in the Northern part of the island but at current levels is unlikely to cause an impact on seabird populations. Future predictions on volcanic activity at Ile Hunter are unknown. Invasive Alien Species represent the greatest threat to seabirds globally (Croxall et al. 2012), causing adult mortality and reduced productivity owing to egg and chick predation. Rats were recorded as present in 2005 and tentively identified as Black Rats (Spaggiari et al. 2007). Polynesian Rat is ubiquitous throughout the Pacific (IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group 2012) and is assumed to be present. Polynesian Rat has been recorded predating adult seabirds as well as eggs and chicks (Kepler 1967). They have precipitated island extinctions in small-bodied, ground-nesting seabirds, but their impacts on larger or arboreal nesting seabirds appear to be lower (Atkinson 1985, Jones et al. 2008). Brown Rat, Feral Cat, Feral Pig and Feral Goat are all plausible but unconfirmed residents. Each can potentially cause declines in seabird colonies, and ungulates can exacerbate the threat from other invasive mammals through habitat modification (Atkinson 1985, Rodríguez et al. 2006, Jones et al. 2008, Duffy 2010). Overall, invasive mammals are suspected to be present and are likely to be having a limiting effect on seabirds, or causing population declines.
Additional information
References: Atkinson, I. A. E. (1985) The spread of commensal species of Rattus to oceanic islands and their effect on island avifaunas. Pages 35-81 in P. J. Moors, editor. Conservation of island birds. International Council for Bird Preservation, Cambridge, United Kingdom. Croxall, J. P., Butchart, S. H. M., Lascelles, B., Stattersfield, A. J., Sullivan, B., Symes, A. and Taylor, P. (2012) Seabird conservation status, threats and priority actions: a global assessment. Bird Conservation International 22: 1-34. Duffy, D. C. (2010) Changing Seabird Management in Hawai‘i: from exploitation through management to restoration. Waterbirds 33: 193-207. Hatfield, J. S., Reynolds, M. H., Seavy, N. E. and Krause, C. M. (2012) Population dynamics of Hawaiian seabird colonies vulnerable to sea-level rise. Conservation Biology 26: 667-678. IPCC – Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change (1997) The Regional Impacts of Climate Change. An Assessment of Vulnerability. Geneva. IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (2012) Rattus exulans. Global Invasive Species Database. Downloaded from http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=170&fr=1&sts=sss on 8th October 2012. Jones, H. P., Tershy, B. R., Zavaleta, E. S., Croll, D. A., Keitt, B. S., Finkelstein, M. E. and Howald, G. R. (2008) Severity of the effects of invasive rats on seabirds: a global review. Conservation Biology 22: 16-26. Kepler, B. (1967) Polynesian rat predation on nesting Laysan Albatrosses and other Pacific seabirds. Auk 84: 426-430. Rodríguez, C., Torres, R. and Drummond, H. (2006) Eradicating introduced mammals from a forested tropical island. Biological Conservation 130: 98-105. Spaggiari J, Chartendrault V & Barré N.2007. ZICO de Nouvelle Calédonie. SCO/Birdlife International.213p