Zanzibar Island-South Coast (7007)
Tanzania, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2004
National site name: Zanzibar Island-South Coast
Central coordinates: Latitude: -6.3000, Longitude: 39.3167
System: marine, terrestrial
Area of KBA (km2): 80.7144
Protected area coverage (%): 55.56
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The site is located on the south coast of the island of Unguja, commonly known as Zanzibar island, together with an associated islet. The site covers the two adjacent bays of Kiwani and Kombeni in the south-west of the island which have a soft sediment of coral silt. There is a more or less continuous stand of mangroves at the top of the bay. Chumbe island lies 5 km south-west of the mainland of Zanzibar, separated from Kombeni Bay by the Fumba peninsula. It is a small coral islet, not much more than 1 km long and only 200 m wide.
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. KBA identified in the process of compiling the 2003 CEPF Ecosystem Profile of the Eastern Arc Mountains and Coastal Forests Hotspot (which was later [in 2005] split into two Hotspots, the East Afromontane and the Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa). Species taxonomy and threat category was based on IUCN Red List 2002.
Additional biodiversity: See Box for key species. The areas of silt attract large numbers of Palearctic waders and the mangroves are important roost-sites. Two tiny mushroom-coral islets a few hundred metres off the southern tip of Chumbe hold a colony of Sterna dougallii. Apart from coastal thicket species such as Nectarinia veroxii and Cossypha natalensis, Chumbe holds an interesting population of what are accepted to be Acrocephalus scirpaceus, existing in dry coral-rag thicket. Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Delineation rationale: Type 1 marine IBA: suitable for the seaward extension approach.
Habitats
Land use: tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 100 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Chumbe island is well-established as an environmentally friendly holiday resort and education centre. This philosophy requires extending to the adjacent mainland. Predation by rats and Corvus splendens is a serious problem for Sterna dougallii. The islets should be cleared of rats and Chumbe should be kept free of Corvus splendens.
Additional information
References: Bregnballe et al. (1990), Geene (2001), Iles (1994).