Cádiz bay (1859)
Spain, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1c, D1a
Year of last assessment: 2018
National site name: Bahía de Cádiz
Central coordinates: Latitude: 36.5833, Longitude: -6.3333
System: freshwater, marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 20
Area of KBA (km2): 248.10696
Protected area coverage (%): 75.01
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A shallow bay with a wide intertidal zone and a large saltpan complex. There are rivers, small lagoons, artificial channels and halophytic scrub. The main human activities are aquaculture, shellfish collection, research and salt production.
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 is a very important area for breeding, passage and wintering waterbirds, particularly waders.
Delineation rationale: 2015-04-23 (BL Secretariat): site area adjusted from 12500 ha (IBA2000) to 10130 ha (Arcos et al. 2009).
Habitats
Land use: fisheries/aquaculture (80%) | nature conservation and research (100%) | urban/industrial/transport
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Intertidal | 33 | |
| Marine Neritic | 33 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 33 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: There are a number of serious threats to the site. Aquaculture projects have caused the dredging of lagoons and saltpans and the destruction of islands used by breeding species. Shellfish collection impacts on the birds. The expansion of the Larus cachinnans colony (`Other' threats, above) and the presence of feral cats and dogs are also important threats. Other threats include intensive poaching, tourism developments and urban and industrial pollution.