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The site was identified as important in 2017 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:

Species	Red List1	Season	Year(s)	Size	IBA criteria
Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis	VU	breeding	2014-2017	13,000-20,000 breeding pairs	A1, A4, B3a
Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis	VU	non-breeding	2005-2017	20,000-30,000 individuals	A1, A4, B3a
Saunders's Tern Sternula saundersi	LC	breeding	2005-2017	4-10 breeding pairs	B2a
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	breeding	2014-2015	13,000-20,000 breeding pairs	B3b

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2017) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2017. The most recent assessment (2017) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Reference	Actual	Units	% remaining	Result
Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis	16,500	20,000	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis	20,000	30,000	individuals	100	favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Human intrusions and disturbance	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Residential and commercial development	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	No management planning has taken place	Very little or no conservation action taking place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
2009	Al Yasat	Protected Area	100

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		major (>10)
Marine Neritic		major (>10)
Marine Intertidal		minor (<10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
military	major (>10)

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ghagha Island (United Arab Emirates). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ghagha-island-iba-united-arab-emirates on 23/11/2024.