Gulf of Riga, west coast (341)
Latvia, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1b, A1d, D1a
Year of last assessment: 2000
National site name: Rigas juras lica rietumu piekraste
Central coordinates: Latitude: 57.2333, Longitude: 23.1833
System: marine, terrestrial
Area of KBA (km2): 1317.53633
Protected area coverage (%): 99.65
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A stretch of coastal waters within the Gulf of Riga, from Cape Kolka to the village of Lapmezciems, and extending offshore to 30 m depth. Bottom sediments are sandy with many shellfish, especially bivalves Macoma, while in deeper waters (>40 m depth) beyond the IBA the seabed has more gravel and mud. The site includes the sand beach (dominated by shingle and cobbles in places) and coastal meadows, although the latter constitute probably less than 5% of the total area.
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.
Additional biodiversity: The Gulf of Riga is internationally important for several waterbirds in winter, and for moulting Bucephala clangula after the breeding season. This part of the gulf holds 20,000 or more waterbirds on a regular basis.
Habitats
Land use: fisheries/aquaculture | tourism/recreation | urban/industrial/transport
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Neritic | 67 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 33 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: There are various threats to the area from pollution (`Other' threat, above), seabird mortality in fishing nets, and disturbance to birds by industrial/recreational marine traffic. Coastal-zone regulations protect the shoreline from development to some extent. A stretch of this coast, from Kaltene to Engure, has been proposed as a Baltic Sea Protection Area, and an area of c.134,000 ha (including part or all of the IBA) is included on the national `shadow list' of potential Ramsar Sites.