Current view: Text account
Site description (2008 baseline):
Site location and context
This small island is 17 km south-east of Port Arthur and 13 km south of Hippolyte Rocks (which are also designated as an IBA) off the south-east coast of Tasman Peninsula. The island is oval-shaped, surrounded by rugged columnar cliffs up to 60 m high, rising to meet boulder-strewn slopes and a gently sloping 300 m high plateau. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has a 25-year lease on a lighthouse and helipad on the island. Other infrastructure includes three lighthouse keepers’ residences, haulage way remnants and sheds. The management plan for Tasman National Park allows for low impact, low level, non-intrusive visitor usage of the area.
The 28 species recorded include Peregrine Falcon, Flame Robin, Wedge-tailed Eagle, 300 pairs of Little Penguin (although a count in 2006 suggests numbers of this species may have declined in response to predation by cats) and 6000 pairs of Short-tailed Shearwater. It may also support the largest numbers of the near threatened Sooty Shearwater in Australia (1000 breeding pairs reported by Brothers et al. (2001) but this estimate likely to be of poor accuracy).
Non-bird biodiversity: Metallic, White's and Ocellated Skink occur, while She-oak Skink is common. Increasing numbers of Australian Fur Seals and small numbers of New Zealand Fur Seals occupy ledges and the rocky western shore. Poa poiformis, Tetragonia implexicoma, Acacia verticillata, Banksia marginata and Leptospermum scoparium are dominant amongst the approximately 100 plant species recorded. Previously grazed by livestock, native vegetation is now flourishing, and the plateau area again supports extensive areas of shrubs.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The eradication of feral cats is straightforward and highly necessary (control of cats between 1978-1983 greatly reduced incidences of predation but cat populations have since recovered in the absence of sustained control effort). The 'biosecurity' of the island needs to be strengthened to prevent future colonisation by problematic exotic species.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
A lair of one feral cat investigated in 1978 contained contained 91 adult Fairy Prions and 11 Sooty Shearwaters; a control program undertaken from 1978 to 1983 drastically reduced cat predation on seabirds. However, the feral cat population has since recovered and is again having a severe impact on local seabird colonies. The eradication of cats from the island is now a priority for conservation management.
Part of Tasman National Park.
Owned by Tasmanian State Government; managed by Parks and Wildlife Service and Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
The nomination was prepared by Peter Britton. Rachael Alderman and Rosemary Gales of DPIW and Eric Woehler kindly commented on the nomination.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Tasman Island (Australia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/tasman-island-iba-australia on 27/11/2024.
