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Site description (2022 baseline):
Site location and context
The area comprises the island of Vis with surrounding islets, as well as islands Biševo, Sveti Andrija (Svetac), Brusnik, Jabuka and Palagruža. The area holds more than half of the national breeding populations of Scopoli's Shearwater and Eleonora's Falcon, in particular the island of Sveti Andrija and neighbouring islet Kamnik. It is also one of two breeding sites in Croatia for Yelkouan Shearwater. All these species are nesting on well developed cliffs and rocks above the seas. Main threats are unregulated recreational activities and tourism, changes in traditional farming, overfishing, excessive or illegal hunting and unregulated construction on the coast.
The Palagruža archipelago (or Palagruža islands) consists of a group of islets and rocks, dominated by the islands Velika Palagruža and Mala Palagruža. This is a group of islands farthest from the Croatian mainland. Plant life is peculiar, and has developed thanks to the great isolation and extreme climatic conditions of the area. Stenoendemic plant species of local character grow on the island, some of which have very limited distribution and therefore even the slightest change in the island ecosystem can have extremely negative effects on plant populations. Almost all of the habitats of Palagruža archipelago belong to endangered habitat types. The dominant vegetation of the area is vulnerable association Oleo-Euphorbietum dendroidis. On the archipelago are also present calcareous rocks with chasmophytic vegetation, rocky shores and sandy beaches with halophytes and small areas of dry Eu- Mediterranean grasslands with xerophytes and therophytes. Fragmentary developed ruderal Mediterranean vegetation is a result of long-term human presence.
Svetac is an island in the open sea, 25 km west of the island of Vis. The island is covered with dense Mediterranean vegetation - macchia (59,22%) and forests of Aleppo Pine and Holm Oak(40.78%), which are in places off the beaten tracks impassable. The site is important for conservation of several Mediterranean habitat types, from rocky coast with endemic Limonium species, scrubs with Juniperus and Euphorbia dendroides formations to calcareous rocks with chasmophytic vegetation. The 5km seaward extension also includes the SCI of 'Brusnik i Svetac' which is rich in fish and includes habitat types such as reefs and (partially) submerged sea caves.
The island of Jabuka is located 50 km west-northwest of the Island of Vis with the surface of 2,25 ha. It is of volcanic origin. The island is actually a very steep 97 m high rock of pyramidal shape. It is located in the deep waters, isolated from other islands and channels, and is protected as geological Nature monument. The site is important for Vegetated cliffs of the Mediterranean coast with endemic Limonium ssp., with endemic ass. Crithmo-Limonietum vestiti.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Main threats are unregulated recreational activities and tourism, changes in traditional farming, overfishing, excessive or illegal hunting and unregulated construction on the coast.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Offshore Islands (Croatia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/offshore-islands-iba-croatia on 23/12/2024.
