Varna-Beloslav Lakes Complex (438)
Bulgaria, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1d, D1a
Year of last assessment: 2005
National site name: Varnensko-Beloslavsko ezero
Central coordinates: Latitude: 43.1925, Longitude: 27.8058
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 101
Area of KBA (km2): 46.81542
Protected area coverage (%): 99.69
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A natural coastal lake to the west of Varna, the largest Bulgarian sea-port. The northern shore is fringed by reedbeds of Phragmites, Typha and Schoenoplectus, while other parts are steeply sloping. There are sand-banks, as well as small saltpans in the westernmostpart of the complex, whose banks are overgrown with Salicornia. The lake was converted in the 1970s into a ship-canal connecting the Black Sea and Lake Beloslav, and there are many industrial installations (factories, ports, etc.), roads and railways along the lake-shore.
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 complex is important for breeding Recurvirostra avosetta, which nest at the saltpans. It is the only wetland between Shabla and Durankulak lakes in the north and the Burgas lakes to the south, and thus is an important staging and wintering area for waterbirds, especially Pelecanus crispus and Phalacrocorax pygmeus. It is also a major migratory bottleneck site, where up to 50,000 Ciconia ciconia pass overhead each autumn. Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria: Aythya nyroca (min. 9 on passage), Oxyura leucocephala (max. 3 in winter).
Delineation rationale: Type 2 marine IBA: non-breeding (coastal) congregations.
Habitats
Land use: fisheries/aquaculture (90%) | hunting (90%) | urban/industrial/transport (100%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 95 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 5 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Problems include water pollution by industry and the overexploitation of fish stocks.