Saltee Islands (609)
Ireland, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: Saltee Islands
Central coordinates: Latitude: 52.1167, Longitude: -6.6000
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 58
Area of KBA (km2): 1.5393
Protected area coverage (%): 99.99
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The Saltee Islands (Great Saltee and Little Saltee) lie 5 km offshore from Kilmore Quay in County Wexford. Both islands have exposed rocky cliffs and boulder beaches. The islands have not been farmed since the 1940s.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Additional biodiversity: The Saltees are internationally important for breeding seabird colonies. Species occurring in numbers of national importance are: Fulmarus glacialis (350 pairs, 1996), Larus argentatus (500 pairs, 1996), Rissa tridactyla (2,500 pairs, 1996) and Uria aalge (15,000 birds, 1996). Great Saltee is also a notable site for spring and autumn passerine migration.
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research (100%) | tourism/recreation (50%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 50 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 50 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Day-trippers, mainly to Great Saltee, may cause some disturbance to seabird colonies. NPW runs a long-term seabird population monitoring and ringing programme on the islands, which are a private bird sanctuary.