Loch Ryan (2671)
United Kingdom, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: Loch Ryan
Central coordinates: Latitude: 54.9642, Longitude: -5.0448
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 8
Area of KBA (km2): 40.61881
Protected area coverage (%): 0.01
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A large, shallow sea loch at the western end of Dumfries and Galloway, which supports the only commercial native oysterbeds in Scotland. Stranraer is located at the base of the loch, with its ferry port. The IBA supports important numbers of wintering waterbirds.
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 2000; no significant boundary changes since then. Digitised onto 1:50,000 scale OS maps.
Habitats
Land use: fisheries/aquaculture | tourism/recreation (1%) | urban/industrial/transport (2%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Neritic | 50 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 50 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Only in the future |