Lake Fertő (1382)
Hungary, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2002
National site name: Fertő
Central coordinates: Latitude: 47.6000, Longitude: 16.6333
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 110 to 116
Area of KBA (km2): 84.9999
Protected area coverage (%): 98.00
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A large saline lake situated on the Austrian-Hungarian border. The IBA includes the Hungarian part of the lake (an area of 75 km2), of which 88% is covered by reedbeds (Phragmites), and adjacent mesophile and wet saline grasslands. Human activities include reed-harvesting (`Other' land-use, below), a small-scale fishery and recreation.
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: An important breeding and staging area for waterbirds. More than 255 bird species have been recorded.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (15%) | fisheries/aquaculture (65%) | hunting (98%) | nature conservation and research (100%) | water management (65%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 65 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 30 | |
| Grassland | 5 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Wildfowl shooting is banned, although shooting of red fox Vulpes vulpes and wild boar Sus scrofa is undertaken for conservation purposes. A wetland restoration project at Mexikópuszta has led to the site becoming extremely important for waterbirds. PHARE has funded an eco-tourism project within the transboundary National Park, and a management plan exists for the area.