Halaaniyaat Islands (8238)
Oman, Middle East
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1b, B1, D1a
Year of last assessment: 1994
National site name: Juzor al Halaaniyaat
Central coordinates: Latitude: 17.5000, Longitude: 55.9667
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 500
Area of KBA (km2): 102.26943
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A group of four main islands of mostly very rugged topography off the Dhofar coast, up to 500 m high, although there are some flat areas. There is a massive limestone cliff on the north-east point of Al Hallaniyah island. Most of the land is bare or supports only a very sparse, low shrub layer; the islands of Jazirat al Qibliyah and Jazirat al Hasikiyah are lightly covered in bird guano. The islands are in the centre of a zone of strong upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich water during the south-west monsoon of May–September (especially June–August), when seas are very rough and very strong winds, driving spray and mist prevail. The only habitation is a village at the western end of Al Hallaniyah (c.150 people), with an airstrip. Local people have boats and visit all the islands, weather permitting.
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.
Additional biodiversity: See box for key species. A very important breeding site for seabirds, and the surrounding seas also provide very important feeding grounds for pelagic species visiting from the southern oceans. Other breeding species include Pandion haliaetus (8+ pairs), and Bulweria fallax may breed (see below). Non-breeding seabirds attracted to the upwelling include Puffinus carneipes (common), P. pacificus (infrequent), Oceanites oceanicus (abundant) and Sula leucogaster (rare). The site is not visited very often due to its isolation, remoteness and the difficulty of access during the hazardous south-west monsoon, and knowledge is thus incomplete. Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals: large numbers of cetaceans occur offshore, including a probable breeding population of Megaptera novaeangliae (V). Reptiles: a few sea-turtles Chelonia mydas (E) nest on the beaches. Flora: three plant species with very restricted ranges (apparently endemic to Oman) occur, as does a rare lichen Simonyiella.
Delineation rationale: 2010-01-18 (BL Secretariat): Coordinates and international site name adjusted to match the gazetteer in: Eriksen, J. and Sargeant, D. E. (2000) Oman bird list, edition 5. Muscat: Oman Bird Records Committee (privately published).
Habitats
Land use: fisheries/aquaculture
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Desert | 33 | |
| Marine Neritic | 33 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 33 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Islanders and visiting fishermen take eggs and adults of Sula dactylatra and Sterna bergii and eggs of Phalacrocorax nigrogularis and Larus hemprichii for food: this over-exploitation may have reached critical levels, with attendant disturbance and persecution of nesting birds. Introduced mammals are a major problem and include feral goats (on Al Hallaniyah: supported by brackish seepages inland), feral cats (on Al Hallaniyah and Jazirat as Sawda) and rats (Rattus norvegicus on Jazirat al Hasikiyah and Rattus rattus on Al Hallaniyah). At present there are no control or removal measures in place. The area comprises four proposed National Nature Reserves (defined areas include surrounding seas to 500 m beyond the low water mark): Jazirat al Qibliyah (800 ha), Al Hallaniyah (7,000 ha), Jazirat as Sawda (2,000 ha) and Jazirat al Hasikiyah (400 ha). The proposed reserves cover all the important seabird nesting sites.
Additional information
References: Bailey (1966), Gallagher (1985).