Key Biodiversity Areas

Mietoistenlahti bay (1289)
Finland, Europe

Site overview


KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2000
National site name: Mietoistenlahti
Central coordinates: Latitude: 60.6000, Longitude: 21.8167
System: marine, terrestrial
Area of KBA (km2): 20.58124
Protected area coverage (%): 23.89
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes

Site details


Site description: A long, shallow bay at the mouth of the Laajoki river. The site is dominated by an area of shallow brackish water with extensive beds of vegetation, especially reed Phragmites. Farmland and settlements lie adjacent to the site.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Additional biodiversity: An internationally important staging area and nationally important breeding area for waterbirds. Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria: Gallinago media (6-10 birds, passage).

Habitats


Land use: fisheries/aquaculture | tourism/recreation
IUCN HabitatCoverage %Habitat detail
Marine Coastal/Supratidal100

Threats


Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Professional fishing disturbs the avifauna, especially in spring. for many years by nature conservationists have opposed plans to construct a small harbour within the IBA (`Infrastructure' threat). Cattle-grazing has been used to keep shore meadows open.
Threat level 1Threat level 2Threat level 3Timing
PollutionAgricultural & forestry effluentsType Unknown/UnrecordedOngoing
Human intrusions & disturbanceRecreational activitiesOngoing