Lõu bay (286)
Estonia, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2003
National site name: Lõu laht
Central coordinates: Latitude: 58.1167, Longitude: 22.1500
System: marine, terrestrial
Area of KBA (km2): 48.20031
Protected area coverage (%): 98.66
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A shallow (<8 m) bay with small islets, vast coastal meadows and saltmarshes on the south-western coast of Saaremaa island. The main economic activities are fishing, and grazing of sheep and cattle.
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: Lõu bay is an important staging area for geese and a notable breeding area for several waterbirds.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (5%) | fisheries/aquaculture (90%) | hunting | nature conservation and research (99%) | tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Shrubland | 2 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 2 | |
| Grassland | 7 | |
| Marine Neritic | 89 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Major threats are posed by unsustainable hunting, tourism and intensive fishing. The IBA contains a planned core area of the West Estonian Archipelago Biosphere Reserve, and is also a potential Ramsar Site. Research involves monitoring of migrating and wintering waterbirds.