The islands are named after St Paul, the apostle who brought the Roman Catholic religion to the Maltese islands in AD 60. In the past, these islands where used for agricultural purposes, but since they have been declared a nature reserve in 1993 the activities permitted between sunrise and sunset are limited. Permissible activities include swimming, berthing of sea craft and walking along designated footpaths.

The islands were formed by a lapse from the mainland. The vegetation on these islands is typical of Mediterranean rocky coastal areas and includes coastal garrigue communities, with species of conservation importance such as the sub-endemic Maltese toadflax (papoċċi) and pygmy groundsel (plant). A wall lizard, which is a distinct and endemic race of the Maltese wall lizard, is confined to and can be found only on these islands.

In recent years a rat eradication exercise was carried out on these islands, as rats were feeding on the vegetation of the islands and potentially affecting the lizard population. The public is therefore encouraged to take any garbage home as there is no collection service on the island and garbage brings rats.

This Natura 2000 site will be subject to the preparation of a management plan and/or legislation in the near future, as part of an EU-funded project that Mepa is undertaking for the management planning all the terrestrial Natura 2000 sites of the Maltese islands.