Breidafjördur (509)
Iceland, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: B1, D1a
Year of last assessment: 2015
National site name: Breiðafjörður
Central coordinates: Latitude: 65.2888, Longitude: -22.6265
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 41
Area of KBA (km2): 3267.79042
Protected area coverage (%): 86.61
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A very large area of coastal waters off western Iceland, containing thousands of islands and islets. The bay is rather shallow and there are extensive intertidal areas adjoining the heavily indented coastline. Habitat also includes marshes and grassland on some of the islands. Land-uses include seaweed-harvesting, exploitation of seals (Phocidae), eider husbandry (Somateria mollissima), traditional harvesting of eggs of Rissa tridactyla, Sterna paradisaea and Larus marinus, chicks of Phalacrocorax aristotelis and P. carbo, and adults of Fratercula arctica, and net-fishing for lumpfish Cyclopterus lumpus.
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 site supports huge numbers of breeding seabirds; Fulmarus glacialis is common but does not meet criteria.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | fisheries/aquaculture | hunting | nature conservation and research | tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 10 | |
| Marine Neritic | 80 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 10 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Predation by introduced American mink Mustela vison and net-fishing for lumpfish both pose threats. Human activities such as tourism, hunt-ing, seaweed-harvesting and eider husbandry (Somateria mollissima) cause disturbance to birds. Gilsfjördur was formerly a mudflat but this was ruined by road-construction (it is now a brackish lagoon), and further road-building in other firths is a threat. A management plan is being developed and is expected to be completed in 1998.