Three Sisters (Bass Strait) (23964)
Australia, Australasia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: Three Sisters (Bass Strait)
Central coordinates: Latitude: -41.1225, Longitude: 146.1280
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 15
Area of KBA (km2): 0.01048
Protected area coverage (%): 92.03
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The Three Sisters IBA consists of three rocky islands up to 500 m from the coast near Devonport in Tasmania. The islands support a large colony of Black-faced Cormorant, most of which nest on the higher, more conical island of the group. The scant coastal scrub that is present on the islands is most developed on the summits. Although the islands are located close to shore in waters frequented by boats and recreational fishermen, landings are scarce because there are no safe anchorage points or obvious routes by which to access the steeply-sloped shorelines.
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: White-bellied Sea-Eagles regularly forage around the islands and are sometimes seen among woody vegetation at the summit of the highest island, where they could conceivably nest in future. Pacific Gull and Sooty Oystercatcher breed annually in small numbers, and Caspian Tern has bred in the past. Non-bird biodiversity: Australian Fur Seals occasionally haul out on the lowest of the three islands.
Other site values: Owned by the Tasmanian State Government and managed by the Parks and Wildlife Service. There are no safe anchorages or obvious access routes on these steep islands without beaches.
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research (100%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 100 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The impacts of human visitation need investigation. The impacts of gill net fisheries need investigation.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources | Unintentional effects: large scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Transportation & service corridors | Shipping lanes | Ongoing | |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Wakefield, W.C. and Hayward, E.R. (2006) Tasmanian bird observations 1 July 2004 to 30 June 2005 systematic list. Tasmanian Bird Report 32: 21-48.
Contributors: The nomination was prepared by Peter Britton. Mark Fordham and Steve Gall of Parks and Wildlife Service, Ulverstone, kindly supplied data, and Rachael Alderman and Rosemary Gales of DPIW kindly commented on the nomination.