Voorhaven Zeebrugge and Baai van Heist (3586)
Belgium, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2000
National site name: Voorhaven Zeebrugge and Baai van Heist
Central coordinates: Latitude: 51.3500, Longitude: 3.1833
System: marine, terrestrial
Area of KBA (km2): 4.97778
Protected area coverage (%): 99.69
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: An industrial area in Zeebrugge harbour.
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: This is an important tern colony, with the only breeding site for Sterna albifrons and S. sandvicensis in the country. The area also holds 114 breeding pairs of Charadrius alexandrinus.
Delineation rationale: Type 1 marine IBA: suitable for the seaward extension approach.
Habitats
Land use: urban/industrial/transport
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 33 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 33 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 33 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: As a result of the development of harbour activities, the available breeding area for terns and plovers has dramatically decreased, while colonization of the (protected) beach area is partly successful but limited by space. The suitable habitats in the most important breeding area of the Voorhaven will be lost in the near future as a result of harbour activities. The area is a proposed Ramsar Site.