Tunis Lake Reserve faces pollution, stray dogs, and degraded path threats

An environmental assessment at the Tunis Lake Reserve has revealed a concerning degradation of the site, despite its continued importance for birdlife. A comprehensive census conducted on June 14, 2026, by the Association "Friends of Birds" (AAO/BirdLife Tunisia) identified 32 bird species, totaling nearly 470 individuals, with water birds comprising 60%.

While the reserve remains a critical habitat, especially during a sensitive period of the birds' annual life cycle, the AAO's report points to significant ecological challenges. The main access path through the site has deteriorated substantially. More alarmingly, the entire area is suffering from solid and water pollution, including hazardous waste like plastic pellets and broken glass.

Adding to the environmental pressures, a large population of stray dogs actively hunts the local bird population, posing a direct threat to the avifauna. The census, which noted a slightly lower diversity of water birds than usual for this period, also observed conditions like low water levels and a marked bloom of green algae.

Despite these adverse conditions, the reserve still hosts various species, including Black-winged Stilts, Little Terns, Common Terns, Stone-curlews, Shrikes, Spanish Sparrows, Spotless Starlings, and Yellow Wagtails, many seen carrying food or tending to nests and young. Migratory and wintering birds like the Grey Plover and Eurasian Curlew were also present.

The AAO has urged the reserve's managers to implement necessary measures to address these threats, which endanger both site users and the local and migratory bird populations. This initiative is part of the "Protection and Restoration of Wetlands in the Mediterranean" (PROZHUM) project, funded by the French Development Agency, aiming to bolster civil society's role in wetland conservation across the Mediterranean.