State: Sofia stolitsaArea: 65,19 ха
Ownership: state - 24.5%; municipality - 74%; private - 1.5%;
Description:
The fishponds of Chelopechene are located immediately next to the Chelopechene residential area of Sofia and the city’s ring road. The site is limited by the Lesnovska river and the military barracks on the south, arable plots on the north, the ring road of Sofia on the west and the road to Kremikovtsi on the east. The fishponds have a total area of 73 ha, 60 ha of which are open water. Their banks and dykes are overgrown with reed Phragmites australis and reed mace Typha latifolia. The open water surface is partly covered by Ceratphyllum demersum and Potamogeton spp. Belts of poplar Populus spp., willow Salix spp. and acacia Robinia pseudoacacia grow around them. The ponds’ water level varies depending on their exploitation regime. Presently they are private property.
Birds:
Chelopechene fishponds supports 134 bird species, 31 of which are listed in the Red Data Book for Bulgaria (1985). Of the birds occurring there 58 species are of European conservation concern (SPEC) (BirdLife International, 2004), 2 of them being listed in category SPEC 1 as globally threatened, 13 in SPEC 2 and 43 in SPEC 3 as species threatened in Europe. With their key location – midway on the migratory flyway following the Iskar gorge, through the Sofia plain to the Struma river valley – the fishponds are an important station for many migratory waterfowl, songbirds and birds of prey that roost and feed there. Besides, they substitute in away the former natural marshlands that used to exist on this place and they are one of the most important sites in the country on a European Union scale for the conservation of the Baillon’s Crake Porzana pusilla that breeds there. The fishponds are quite important also for the breeding Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus and the globally threatened Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca. The fishponds are an important wintering site for the Bittern Botaurus stellaris and the Great White Egret Egretta alba, in the Sofia plain, as well as a valuable trophic base for the Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus, the White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus, the Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola and the globally threatened Pygmy Cormorant Phalacrocorax pygmeus on migration and in winter.
Threats:
Chelopechene fishponds are situated close to the capital of Bulgaria, where infrastructure is well developed, the surrounded settlements are densely populated and expand their territories continuously. In the region north-east of the fishponds a big industrial complex is situated - Kremikovtsi. The continuing urbanization and infrastructure development increases the pressure on the area and could cause rapid isolation and deterioration of habitats important for birds. Since the end of 90s the fishponds were privatized and stopped to operate. It led to gradual drying up the fish pool and the Ferruginous Duck stop to breed there. Recently the wetland habitats are in poor condition and need urgent restoration measures to recover their value for the breeding, migrating and wintering birds. The most serious threat to the site is and existing concession for extraction of sand, which will cause complete destruction of the habitats on about 30% of the fishponds territory.
Legal protection:
Chelopechene fishponds are not protected by national nature conservation legislation. In 2005 the area was designated as Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.
