Farasan Islands (8290)
Saudi Arabia, Middle East
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1b, A1c, B1, D1a
Year of last assessment: 1994
National site name: Farasan Islands
Central coordinates: Latitude: 16.7500, Longitude: 42.0000
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 75
Area of KBA (km2): 5393.87559
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A Red Sea coral archipelago, 40 km offshore, with dozens of low-lying islands and islets. Some islands are bare and surrounded by coral, while others are sandy. The largest island, Farasan Kabir (c.39,500 ha), is 120 km long and up to 75 m high; inland vegetation comprises Acacia-Commiphora bushland with Ziziphus and Salvadora, as well as Euphorbia thickets and dense, 3-m-high Asparagus bushland. There are several dense stands of mangrove (mostly Avicennia but also Rhizophora). Some islands are fringed with salt-tolerant bushes. Farasan Kabir, Saqid (the only other large island: 15,600 ha) and Qummah are permanently inhabited (c.7 villages), but there are Coastguard stations and/or temporary fishing camps on other islands. There is a pearl fishery, a small amount of cultivation (dates and sorghum), and a few herds of goats.
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. The islands are important mainly for breeding seabirds and raptors, but have only been incompletely surveyed. Other breeding species include Phaethon aethereus (6-12 pairs), Pelecanus rufescens (40+ pairs), Egretta gularis, Ardea purpurea, Pandion haliaetus (40 pairs) and Sterna bergii (100 pairs). There are important concentrations of wintering waterbirds on the southern beach of Farasan Kabir, including Arenaria interpres (335). Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals: Gazella gazella farasani (endemic); Asellia patrizii (only site in Arabia). Reptiles: Coluber insulans (endemic); many sea-turtles (globally threatened) breed.
Delineation rationale: 2009-10-12 (BL Secretariat): Polygon is based on 1994 PA boundary (in BirdLife library ref 27/ME/SA/RE/TO.98.A); there is a transboundary island group to the south (main islands = Zamhar, Buklan and Fasht) whose national sovereignty is not clear on published maps, therefore these islands are currently excluded from both Saudi and Yemeni IBAs.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | fisheries/aquaculture | hunting | nature conservation and research | rangeland/pastureland
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 5 | |
| Marine Neritic | 43 | |
| Shrubland | 43 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 5 | |
| Forest | 5 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The islands are managed as an established protected area by the NCWCD, and rangers patrol the two main islands to prevent poaching; 15,500 ha are fully protected as Special Nature Reserve and Natural Reserve. Seabirds' eggs are taken and are being over-exploited, and feral cats are a problem for nesting seabirds on some islands. Large numbers of migrant shrikes are trapped to extract their fat (for cooking); the impact of this on the migrant populations has not been studied. On the two main islands there are threats to the habitat from uncontrolled grazing and the possible exploitation of potash in the future.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Only in the future |
Additional information
References: Jennings (1988a,b), Symens (1988).