Tunisia designates Garâa Sejenane
31 March 2021Tunisia has added Garâa Sejenane to the List of Wetlands of International Importance. At 1,500 hectares, it is the largest natural freshwater wetland in the country.
The Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
Number of Contracting Parties: 171
Number of Wetlands of International Importance: 2,418
Total surface of designated sites: 254,563,791 ha
The Site consists of the outer parts of two broad glacial valleys, both with many-channelled braided rivers. The rivers reach a fjord in a shared delta with large mudflats exposed at low tide. Various habitats are found, including meadows, marshes and pools. They provide feeding and breeding grounds for several bird species, such as the long-tailed duck and the endemic Greenland mallard. In addition, the Site contains the most important moulting area in Greenland for the king eider. Qínnquata Marraa and Kuussuaq also holds a significant portion of the biogeographical population of the Greenland white-fronted goose. The Site is remote, and is far from any human settlements, but hunting occasionally occurs there.