Salines de Monastir (6938)
Tunisia, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2010
National site name: Salines de Monastir
Central coordinates: Latitude: 35.7500, Longitude: 10.7667
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 2 to 5
Area of KBA (km2): 13.00381
Protected area coverage (%): 72.11
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The site is (with Thyna, site TN027) one of the only two remaining salt-production plants left in Tunisia following the closure of the Mégrine saltpans (site TN009). Because of the salt-production work, there is a series of shallow pans of varying salinity, where water-levels vary from day to day and attract many waterbirds. The plant is situated between the cities of Monastir and Sousse (with their extensive tourist facilities along the neighbouring beaches), and within a former coastal sebkha, part of which still functions as a saline depression in wet winters. The halophytic vegetation of the sebkha is dominated by Arthrocnemum and Salicornia species.
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. KBA identified by the 2010 CEPF Mediterranean Ecosystem Profile process. Taxonomy and nomenclature follow the 2008 IUCN Red List.
Additional biodiversity: See Box for key species. The area is also important for wintering and passage waterbirds, with up to 1,000 Tadorna tadorna in winter, waders (notably Himantopus himantopus and Recurvirostra avosetta which may breed) and breeding Larus cachinnans, S. albifrons and, perhaps, some S. hirundo. Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Habitats
Land use: hunting | urban/industrial/transport
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The site is situated near an airport, the activities of which are a source of a significant amount of disturbance. Other threats to the site are hunting and the presence of numbers of feral dogs. As long as the saltpans remain a functioning entity, the site will be of importance. It would be desirable to guarantee their long-term survival, in view of the loss of the Mégrine saltpans and the expansion of tourism facilities in the immediately surrounding area.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pollution | Excess energy | Noise pollution | Ongoing |
| Transportation & service corridors | Flight paths | Ongoing | |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Work & other activities | Ongoing | |
| Climate change & severe weather | Droughts | Only in the future |
Additional information
References: Gaultier (1986, 1988a, 1989), Hamrouni (1999), Hughes et al. (1997).