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Site description (2015 baseline):

This is a non-contiguous site consisting of two areas in the south west of Ascension Island: a 262 ha area near Mars Bay along the south west coast and a 185 ha area in the Waterside Fairs along the south coast. The Mars Bay area incorporates a section of the south west coastline around South Point, extending from Mars Bay to Gannet Bay. The Waterside Fairs area incorporates a section of the south coastline of Ascension Island, extending from east of Gannet Bay to west of Pillar Bay. The site comprises a rugged terrain of a volcanic origin and is situated near to the military airbase/ landing strip.

See table for key species. The site supports three of the 11 resident seabird species including the main colonies of Onychoprion fuscata, by far the most numerous breeding species in Ascension, occupying a total area of 9.14 ha in 1997, nesting in two geographic locations, although the birds are not site faithful on a year-to-year basis (Hughes et al., 2012). Over a 10 year period, the O. fuscata population has appeared stable with a mean population size of 368,000 (± 82,000) (Ratcliffe et al., 1999). Typically two thirds of the population of O. fuscata nest at Waterside Fairs and one third at Mars Bay (Hughes et al., 2012). Although stable over time, large fluctuations in breeding population size are relatively common, such as between 2000 and 2001 where the population more than doubled (Hughes et al., 2008), hypothesised to be related to food availability at sea. The number of adult birds returning to breed from 1990 to 2007 varied between 150,000 and 420,000 with an average of 394,000 over this period (Hughes et al., 2008). The O. fuscata population for 2010 was estimated at 414,000 (Hughes et al., 2012). Following the feral cat eradication in the 2000s the birds now nest year-round in smaller colonies rather than en masse every 9.6 months as previously observed. The AIG Conservation Department are currently refining their methods to monitor this and produce reliable population size estimates. There are also small breeding populations of Phaethon lepturus and Anous stolidus present although the population sizes are currently unknown (Weber, pers. comm. 2015). There are five resident landbirds, all introduced; Francolinus afer (introduced 1851), Acridotheres tristis (introduced 1879 and 1880), Passer domesticus (introduced 1985 onwards, Georgetown only), Estrilda astrild (introduced 1860) and Serinus flaviventris (introduced 1890). There are also records of non-breeding visitors and vagrants with fewer than five records. The former include Bubulcus ibis, Gallinula chloropus, Arenaria interpres, Apus apus, Hirundo rustica, and Delichon urbica. In the fossil record, two species are known, an extinct night heron Nycticorax nov. sp. and the extinct flightless rail Atlantisia elpenor.

Non-bird biodiversity: Chelonia mydas (EN), protected locally since 1926, are present in the waters of Ascension as the beaches are important breeding grounds for green turtles and the three main nesting beaches (Long Beach, Pan Am and North East Bay) are designated as Nature Reserves under the National Protected Areas Order, 2014. The dolphin Tursiops truncatus (LC) is common around the island and there are also regular sightings of Stenella attenuate (LC). There is a long list of invertebrates, including historic records of endemic pseudoscorpions Apocheiridium cavicola and Allowithius ascensionis. Yellow and purple land-crabs Johngarthia lagostoma occur throughout the main island, returning to the sea to breed each year. The endemic shrimps Procaris ascensionis and Typhlatya rogersi, are found in anchialine rock pools located 50 – 100m inland with no surface connection to the sea that fall within the area of this Nature Reserve/ IBA. There are also 11 species of coastal fish which are endemic to Ascension along with a further 16 fish species which appear to be shared endemics with St Helena (Wirtz et al., 2014). The indigenous flora of Ascension Island is minimal with approximately 25 vascular plants, and 7 endemics, of which 1, the spurge Euphorbia origanoides grows in this IBA area. There are 77 recorded species of bryophytes on Ascension, of which 15 are believed to be endemic to the island.


Feral cats and rats had extirpated most seabird species from the main island of Ascension, with the exception of only O. fuscata which, despite managing to co-exist with cats, had still experienced population declines (Ashmole et al., 1994). After the successful cat eradication programme from 2002 to 2004 other seabird species such as Sula dactylatra and Fregata aquila have started to re-colonise the main island (Ratcliffe et al., 2009) although evidence for population increases in O. fuscata is varied (Hughes et al., 2012). It is possible that the pressure of rat predation on the O. fuscata colonies has increased and severe rat predation at Waterside Fairs in 2008-2009 may have stimulated more O. fuscata to nest at Mars Bay in 2010 (Hughes et al., 2012). Continued census work is required to determine the population status of O. fuscata and further monitoring of Rattus rattus populations around the colonies is important to detect potential mesopredator effects (Courchamp et al., 1999) which would further effect the progress of population recovery through increased predation on eggs and chicks (Jones et al., 2008). Such research is currently being carried out by AIG Conservation Team. Introduced Acridotheres tristis are also known to take eggs of O. fuscata and it has been estimated that A. tristis predate 4,000 O. fuscata eggs (c. 2.5% of eggs laid) per breeding season and destroy but do not eat a further 7,500 (4.6%) eggs (AOS, 2012). This may also lead to further desertion of eggs by other pairs close to sites of active predation and might delay the re-establishment of other seabirds (Hughes et al., 2008). Other threats include disturbance to breeding colonies of O. fuscata and accidental hooking of seabirds by sports fishermen. Significant quantities of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in O. fuscata are indicated to have come from squid or fish caught within the foraging range of the IBA. A further threat is commercial fishing; there is potential for over-exploitation of local fish stocks, however AIG stopped issuing commercial fishing licences in 2014 while they conduct a marine management review, exploring the opportunities both for a closely regulated sustainable fishery or a large Marine Protected Area. The airstrip in the south-west is near the principal breeding sites of O. fuscata, but air-strike probability is generally considered low as disturbed birds fly low as they move out to sea. The Wildlife Protection Ordinance was enacted in 2013 to protect native fauna and flora, including all of the native bird species individually. The National Protected Areas Order and associated Regulations were enacted in 2014 creating seven new nature reserves including the three main turtle nesting beaches and the globally-important seabird colonies. The island is being extensive colonised by a variety of introduced plants some of which have become a problem, notably the invasive Prosopsis juliflora forming dense impenetrable thickets which could impact seabird colonies if P. juliflora becomes established in these areas (Pickup, 1999). A management plan has been produced to reduce the impacts of P. juliflora and the AIG Conservation Department works to ensure that the Nature Reserves are kept free from the aggressive invasive plants.

http://www.ascension-island.gov.ac/government/conservation/projects/bap/

Many thanks to Dr Nicola Weber and Dr Sam Weber for preparing the nomination and for providing data. Data has been collected over a number of years by independent researchers from organisations including the British Ornithological Union, Army Ornithological Society and RSPB, and more recently by the Ascension Island Government Conservation Department. All those involved with the Seabird Restoration Project, largely funded by the FCO, have also contributed to data collection.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Wideawake Fairs (St Helena (to UK)). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/wideawake-fairs-iba-st-helena-(to-uk) on 27/12/2024.