Current view: Text account
Site description (2008 baseline):
Site location and context
Mewstone is a rocky oval-shaped 9 ha island, about 20 km south of Red Point, between Southport and Port Davey in south-west Tasmania. Composed of Muscovite granite, which is unknown elsewhere in the South-west National Park, the island is very steep and mostly bare jagged rock. The few plant species present on the island are confined to crevices and cavities in the rock where soil has accumulated. An estimated 7500 pairs of Shy Albatross accounts for 60% of the world population; and an estimated 20,000 pairs of Fairy Prion also breed, mostly in crevices and under boulders along the boulder-strewn summit ridge of the island.
Other species recorded at Mewstone by Brothers et al. (2001) were Black-faced Cormorant (at least 20 and perhaps up to 30 pairs), Silver Gull (a few pairs and at least 40 roosting birds), Australasian Gannet (individuals occasionally observed loafing), Buller's Albatross (one individual seen over several seasons with Shy Albatrosses), Peregrine Falcon and Forest Raven.
Non-bird biodiversity: Up to 50 Australian Fur Seal haul out on ledges on the east and south sides of the island and on the SE rock. White (1981) recorded the land snail Tasmanembryon tasmanicus and noted that Tasmanian Tree Skink were abundant. Senecio leptocarpus, Senecio lautus, Carpobrotus rossii, Poa poiformis, Asplenium obtusatum, Chenopodium glaucum and Sarcocornia quinqueflora were the only plants found.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
No further actions are needed to conserve seabird populations on the island itself. However, additional measures to reduce seabird by-catch by long-line fisheries are needed to conserve Shy Albatross at sea.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
Mewstone Island is included within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.
Part of Southwest National Park.
Land owned by the Tasmanian State Government and managed by the Department of Primary Industries and Water.
Site access / Land-owner requests
Access is prohibited to protect nesting albatrosses.
The nomination was prepared by Peter Britton. Aleks Terauds and Sheryl Hamilton kindly supplied data. Rachael Alderman and Rosemary Gales of DPIW kindly commented on the nomination.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Mewstone (Australia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/mewstone-iba-australia on 27/11/2024.
