Sulaibikhat Bay (8207)
Kuwait, Middle East
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 1994
National site name: Sulaibikhat Bay
Central coordinates: Latitude: 29.3500, Longitude: 47.8500
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 5
Area of KBA (km2): 50.1037
Protected area coverage (%): 30.31
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A shallow, relatively well-sheltered bay, part of the larger Kuwait Bay system, with extensive intertidal mudflats (c.2,250 ha); reportedly the most productive shore in Kuwait, and an economically valuable shrimp nursery. Traditional fishing by fixed traps ('hadra') and recreational fishing occur; the hadra (on the intertidal flats) appear to be in poor repair, and may have been abandoned because of Iraqi mine-laying in the area.
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.
Additional biodiversity: See box for key species. The site is important for coastal waterfowl during winter and on passage, especially Ardea cinerea (90, January) and Recurvirostra avosetta (95, January). It is fairly well watched by local standards, and at least 70 bird species have been recorded. Non-bird biodiversity: Invertebrates: the crab Cleistostoma kuwaitense (endemic).
Delineation rationale: Type 2 marine IBA: non-breeding (coastal) congregations.
Habitats
Land use: fisheries/aquaculture | hunting | tourism/recreation | urban/industrial/transport
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Neritic | 5 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 95 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Land-claim destroyed 500 ha of mudflat in the early 1980s, and a resumption of this policy would be disastrous for the site. There is some local oil pollution from power stations on Doha peninsula and from Mina Shuwaikh port. About 3 km of shore in the south-west corner of bay, adjacent to this site, is a Nature Reserve (see site 003). A proposal was made in 1987 to protect the entire area from shooting (potentially a local problem), whilst allowing traditional and recreational fishing to continue.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target) | Ongoing |