Patoku lagoon (2911)
Albania, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2016
National site name: Laguna e Patokut
Central coordinates: Latitude: 41.6333, Longitude: 19.6000
Elevation (m): 0 to 1
Area of KBA (km2): 32.32663
Protected area coverage (%): 97.54
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The site includes two brackish, shallow, coastal lagoons, separated from the sea by two sandbars, with an outlet to the Adriatic Sea in the centre. At low tide several hectares of mudflats are exposed. The site includes the riparian Fushe-Kushe forest with Alnus glutinosa and Populus alba, extending for approximately 50 ha. Adjacent marshes have reedbeds with Juncus maritimus and Typha angustifolia. Until recent drainage the site encompassed 4,200 ha of wetland. The main land-uses are fishing, agriculture, grazing, hunting (the area is a Game Reserve) and tourism (along the sandbars).
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs. 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: The area is particularly important for migratory and wintering waders (c.4,000 waterbirds present each year), including the globally endangered Numenius tenuirostris. Formerly a colony of 20-30 pairs of Pelecanus crispus bred on Cabok island.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (20%) | fisheries/aquaculture (40%) | forestry (10%) | hunting (80%) | tourism/recreation (10%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Intertidal | 30 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 20 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 30 | |
| Forest | 10 | |
| Shrubland | 10 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The main threats are wetland drainage and human disturbance. Other threats include illegal activities such as dynamite fishing, wood-cutting inside the hunting reserve, and hunting at night.