Lough Foyle and River Foyle (2530)
United Kingdom, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: Lough Foyle and River Foyle
Central coordinates: Latitude: 55.0478, Longitude: -7.1260
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 10
Area of KBA (km2): 50.07557
Protected area coverage (%): 66.92
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A large shallow estuary comprising extensive mudflats, shell ridges, mussel-beds, low-lying reclaimed farmland and limited areas of saltwater marsh. This is a cross-border IBA, with a minority of the site falling within the Republic of Ireland (IBA 004). The stated area of 21,803 ha refers to the whole site (on both sides of the border) but other data given here (habitats, land-uses, threats and birds) are specific to the UK side. The IBA is internationally important for wintering wildfowl and waders. Branta bernicla are from the Canadian/Greenland breeding population of the hrota subspecies.
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.
Delineation rationale: First identified in 1989 as Lough Foyle; extended and renamed in 2000; missing parts of SPA added in 2007. Note, IBA much larger than the SPA. 2000 area incorrectly including sea areas, 21803ha. SPA boundary used from JNCC; digitised at 1:10,000 scale. Additional area added on 1:50,000 maps.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | fisheries/aquaculture | military | nature conservation and research | tourism/recreation | urban/industrial/transport
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 5 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 32 | |
| Marine Neritic | 32 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 32 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Agro-industry farming | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Marine & freshwater aquaculture | Industrial aquaculture | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | Ongoing |
| Pollution | Industrial & military effluents | Type Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Pollution | Domestic & urban waste water | Sewage | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Other ecosystem modifications | Ongoing |