Kasti bay (282)
Estonia, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2003
National site name: Kasti laht
Central coordinates: Latitude: 58.2167, Longitude: 22.6167
System: marine, terrestrial
Area of KBA (km2): 37.88689
Protected area coverage (%): 98.34
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A complex of shallow (<4 m) bays and small islets on the southern coast of Saaremaa island, with vast reedbeds, coastal meadows and saltmarshes. The main economic activities are fishing, sheep-grazing and forestry.
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: Kasti bay is an important staging area for migrating geese and a notable breeding area for several waterbirds. Significant proportion (³1%) of national population breeding at site: Sterna albifrons (min. 10 pairs).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (1%) | fisheries/aquaculture (70%) | forestry (5%) | hunting | nature conservation and research (98%) | tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | 1 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 13 | |
| Forest | 6 | |
| Shrubland | 6 | |
| Marine Neritic | 73 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Major threats are posed by unsustainable hunting, tourism, overgrowth of coastal meadows with reed Phragmites due to undergrazing, and intensive fishing. The area is a planned core area of the West Estonian Archipelago Biosphere Reserve. Research involves monitoring of migrating waterbirds.