Grevelingen (1205)
Netherlands, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2016
National site name: Grevelingen
Central coordinates: Latitude: 51.7500, Longitude: 4.0000
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): -18 00
Area of KBA (km2): 137.53323
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A former estuary, 18 km in length, which was closed from the sea in 1971. It is now a stagnant saline lake, mostly bordered by dykes with islets, sand-dunes and wet meadows. It adjoins the Voordelta (020) to the west, and Lake Volkerak (026) and Oosterschelde (028) to the east. Hunting does not include waterbirds.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: This clear, saline lake is especially attractive to piscivorous waterbirds, and the grassland bordering the northern shores (Slikken van Flakkee) is one of the main feeding sites of Branta leucopsis in south-west Netherlands. The site holds important roosts of geese. The mean total number of waterbirds in January exceeds 20,000.
Delineation rationale: 9 March 2017: area edited. Now equal to the designated Special Protection Area (Birds Directive).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (5%) | fisheries/aquaculture (80%) | hunting (20%) | nature conservation and research (100%) | tourism/recreation (90%) | water management (100%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 80 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 20 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Numbers of herbivorous bird species such as Cygnus olor and Aythya ferina have been much reduced due to the near-disappearance of eel-grass Zostera.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential & commercial development | Tourism & recreation areas | Ongoing | |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Ongoing | |
| Energy production & mining | Renewable energy | Only in the future |