Area: 145,76 ха
Ownership: state - 74%; municipality - 11%; private - 15%;
Description:
Fishponds overgrown with marsh vegetation, located to the north of the city of Plovdiv. The general appearance of the fishponds are determined by water basins, overgrown with hygrophyte vegetation, dominated by Cerathophilum sp., Potamogeton natans, Trapa natans, Nymphoides peltata, etc. The basins’ banks are covered by reed mace (Typha angustifolia, Typha latifolia, Typha laxmanii), reed Phragmites australis, Sparganium ramosum, Carex sp., Juncus sp. and single willow trees Salix sp.. The reed and reed mace at places form islands in the water basins. On the dykes there are strips of fruit trees and poplars.
Birds:
The territory of the Plovdiv fishponds supports 87 bird species, 33 of which are listed in the Red Data Book for Bulgaria (1985). Of the birds occurring there 34 species are of European conservation concern (SPEC) (BirdLife International, 2004), 3 of them being listed in category SPEC 1 as globally threatened, 7 in SPEC 2 and 24 in SPEC 3 as species threatened in Europe. The fishponds are of global importance for the Pygmy Cormorant Phalacrocorax pygmeus in winter and on migration, as well as for the Great Egret Egretta alba in winter. The Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca and the Great Snipe Gallinago media can also be observed there during migration. The fishponds are one of most important stopover sites in the country on migration for the Snipe Gallinago gallinago, Crane Grus grus, Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus and Moorhen Gallinula chloropus.
Threats:
The Plovdiv fishponds are situated in the industrial area of the Plovdiv City – the second biggest city in Bulgaria. It is influenced by the high pressure of the continuing urbanization of the area, as well as intensive human activities. The biggest impact on the wetland habitats is the drainage of the fishponds, caused by stopping the fishery activities, as well as the high price of the water. The dried fish pools cannot be used by breeding and migratory birds. Cutting of trees and afforestation with non-native species, as well as burning of water fringe vegetation deplete the habitats important for the Pygmy Cormorant and other species related to those habitats. Because of the easy access to the area there is high disturbance to birds caused by illegal hunting on protected species, illegal net fishing, leisure fishing, direct disturbance to fish-eating birds and traffic of vechicles. Domestic animals, mainly dogs and cats destroy the nests, eggs and chicks of the ground-nesting birds.
Legal protection:
The area does not have legal protection under the national conservation legislation. In 1997 the area is designated as Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.
