Islands North of Port Stewart (23968)
Australia, Australasia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1b
Year of last assessment: 2022
National site name: Islands North of Port Stewart
Central coordinates: Latitude: -13.5861, Longitude: 143.6649
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 24
Area of KBA (km2): 18.43491
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: This KBA consists of a series of small islands in the Great Barrier Reef extending from Night Island, which lies off the coast of the McIlwraith Range, south to Burkitt Island, north of Port Stewart on the Cape York Peninsula. Approx. 70 km of the east coast, 335 km down from the tip of Cape York. The islands included here are: Night Island (50 ha; mangroves); Lowrie Islet (1 ha); Hay Island (10 ha); Hannah Island (30 ha); Burkitt Island (20 ha); Wilkie Island (60 ha). Most islands in this group are small vegetated cays fringed by mangroves, and all are low-lying except for Hannah Island at 24 m above sea level. The climate is monsoonal, with the rainfall on the nearby mainland being sufficiently high to support rainforest. The KBA lies opposite the Iron & McIlwraith Ranges KBA, where the nesting Torresian Imperial-Pigeons feed. Night and Burkitt Islands are in the Marine National Park, others and all the surrounding seas are in the general use zone or habitat protection zone of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This KBA hosts what is likely the largest breeding aggregation of Torresian Imperial Pigeon Ducula spilorrhoa in the world - triggering under Criterion D1b.
Additional biodiversity: This KBA contains large Brown booby nesting colonies, although it has not met the 1% of global population of 2,000 for more than 20 years. Some large counts of lesser crested terns for this KBA exceed the 1% global population estimate of 2,250, but haven't met criteria since 2000. E.g. Lowrie Islet had 3330 pairs Lesser Crested Terns in 1999, and Burkitt Island had 1000 pairs in 1987 and 2000 pairs in 1993.
Manageability of the site: This KBA is managed by Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority who consider these islands/cays a single unit under their joint 'Field Management Program'. It was the advice of QPWS that these islands b
Other site values: Uutaalgnunu are the Traditional Owners of the Night Island region within this KBA. Lama Lama are the Traditional Owners of the Princess Charlotte Bay region, which includes Burkitt Island, and have a Traditional use of Marine Resources Agreement (TUMRA) over this area.
Delineation rationale: The KBA boundary consists of 1 km radius circles centred over each island/cay, with the exception of Cairncross Islet which is an ellipse (of equal area to a 1 km radius circle) covering the more elongated shape of that island.
Habitats
Land use: The KBA is currently managed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service in collaboration with Traditional Owners and other parties for a variety of uses, but primarily conservation of the natural and cultural values of this World Heritage Area. Uses include: tourism, education, scientific research and cultural heritage / traditional use. The following Great Barrier Reef Marine Park use Zones cover this KBA: Habitat Protection (IUCN VI); General Use (IUCN VI): Marine National Park (IUCN II): Commonwealth Island (GBRMPA) (IUCN VI).
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 15 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 5 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 23 | |
| Marine Neritic | 75 | |
| Forest | 5 | |
| Forest | 23 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Ongoing | |
| Climate change & severe weather | Storms & flooding | Ongoing | |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Problematic species/diseases of unknown origin | Only in the future | |
| Pollution | Garbage & solid waste | Ongoing | |
| Pollution | Industrial & military effluents | Oil spills | Only in the future |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Ongoing | |
| Climate change & severe weather | Storms & flooding | Only in the future |