Foça Peninsula (784)
Turkey, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2016
National site name: Foça Yarımadası
Central coordinates: Latitude: 38.6833, Longitude: 26.8333
Elevation (m): 0 to 400
Area of KBA (km2): 254.25338
Protected area coverage (%): 0.00
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A group of six uninhabited islands off Ýzmir Bay: Orak, Hayýrsýz, Fener, Ýncir, Kartdere and Metalik. There is a long pebble beach on the south shore of Orak, with cliffs of up to 80 m found on Orak, Hayýrsýz and Kartdere. Herbaceous plants, garrigue and maquis cover the islands. Tourism is the major economic activity, and Ýncir in particular is heavily visited. There is no human activity on the other islands.
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 in the CEPF Ecosystem Profile of the Mediterranean Hotspot (2017). Taxonomy, nomenclature and global threat category follow the 2016 IUCN Red List.
Delineation rationale: Area changed from 124 ha [in 1997 IBA inventory] to 134 ha (in BirdLife 2001 Ramsar Shadow List publication) to 25410 ha (Kiliç & Eken 2004; the previous site was six small islands, site has now been expanded to include mainland and sea).
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research (10%) | not utilised (80%) | tourism/recreation (10%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Shrubland | 85 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 15 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Recreational activities such as angling and scuba diving are prohibited. The MedSPA designation halted several developments on the mainland and has secured the future of the islands. Hayýrsýz and Kartdere remain unprotected, however.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential & commercial development | Tourism & recreation areas | Ongoing | |
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Ongoing | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Shipping lanes | Only in the future |