Karavasta Lagoon (2904)
Albania, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2016
National site name: Laguna e Karavastase
Central coordinates: Latitude: 40.9303, Longitude: 19.4723
Elevation (m): 0 to 5
Area of KBA (km2): 191.25752
Protected area coverage (%): 88.94
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: It is situated between the Shkumbini River in the North and the Canal of Myzeqe and Semani River in the South. In the eastern part the complex is surrounded by Divjaka hills while the western border is composed by Adriatic sea.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas) KBA identified in the CEPF Ecosystem Profile of the Mediterranean Hotspot (2017). Taxonomy, nomenclature and global threat category follow the 2016 IUCN Red List.
Additional biodiversity: Circa 250 bird species have been registered here so far and among them about 15 Globally Endangered bird species, at least 80 species of the Annex 1 of the Birds Directive and some 5 bird species exceeding the 1% threshold of the biogeographic population. Besides, Divjaka-Karavasta is home to up to 84 thousand wintering waterbirds, 12 thousand breeding birds and many more migrating waterbirds. The site is important for breeding colonial waterbirds, including Pelecanus crispus. The site is also potentially very important for the globally threatened Numenius tenuirostris.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Karavasta is the largest wetland in Albania, with the Karavasta lagoon forming the largest part of the complex. The lagoon is shielded from the sea by a sandy bar (Divjaka) covered with pine forest dominated by Pinus pinaster and P. pinea. Karavasta comprises a shallow inner lagoon, and a smaller outer lagoon. The inner lagoon has many peninsulas and small, low islands with muddy shores and some areas of bare sand. A sandy bar covered by pines separates the two lagoons. In the inner lagoon only artisanal fishery is practised, but in the outer one there are more intensive fisheries.
Land use: agriculture (5%) | fisheries/aquaculture (85%) | forestry (15%) | hunting (35%) | nature conservation and research (15%) | tourism/recreation (10%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Neritic | 10 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 34 | |
| Shrubland | 5 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 5 | |
| Forest | 13 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 34 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: A management plan has been developed. The area is threatened by plans to build a new recreation complex and by plans to drain parts of the lagoon (2017). Disturbance is high from tourists, local people and illegal fishing.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use | Abstraction of surface water (agricultural use) | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources | Intentional use: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Pollution | Agricultural & forestry effluents | Nutrient loads | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Shifting agriculture | Ongoing |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Ongoing | |
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Ongoing | |
| Energy production & mining | Renewable energy | Only in the future |