State: RuseArea: 2737,95 ха
Ownership: state - 84%; municipality - 10%; private - 6%;
Description:
Former marshlands near the Danube that have been turned into fishponds, overgrown with marsh vegetation, together with the mouth of a small river in the area’s western end and the section of the Danube River between km 522 – 516, including two islands. It is located at about 4-5 km west of the village of Mechka. On the north the site limit follow the state border, on the south and west it is surrounded by the slopes of the high Danube bank, on the east it reaches the summer residential area of Stulpishte. Batin island is located against the western end of the fishponds, and Bezimenen Island – against their eastern end. The appearance of the site is determined by the fishponds, overgrown with marsh hygrophytes and hydrophytes, mostly reed Phragmites australis, Trapa natans, Nymphaea alba, at places – reed mace Typha spp., different grasses and shrubs. Orchard and poplar trees are planted on the dykes, including on the Danube dyke. The fishponds are surrounded by wet meadows, dominated by Festuca pratensis, Poa sylvicola etc. Their slopes are overgrown with mixed broadleaved woods of Fraxinus ornus, Tilia tomentosa, Ulmus minor, at places Acer campestrе (Bondev 1991). South of the slopes the terrain is plain, occupied by farmland.
Birds:
Mechka fishponds together with the two islands next to it are typical complex along the Danube River, which provides valuable habitats for waterbirds during the breeding, wintering and migration. It supports 177 bird species, 62 of which are listed in the Red Data Book for Bulgaria (1985). Of the birds occurring there 84 species are of European conservation concern (SPEC) (BirdLife International, 2004), 12 of them being listed in category SPEC 1 as globally threatened, 19 in SPEC 2 and 53 in SPEC 3 as species threatened in Europe. The area provides suitable habitats for 71 species, included in Annex 2 of the Biodiversity Act, which need special conservation measures, of which 63 are listed also in Annex I of the Birds Directive. Mechka fishponds are of global importance for the breeding Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca and of international importance for the breeding Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus. It is one of the four places in Bulgaria where the Black Tern Chlidonias niger breeds. During migration and in winter they are of considerable value for the Pygmy Cormorant Phalacrocorax pygmeus and Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus (both globally threatened species), as well as for the Cormorant Рhalacrocorax carbo. Although rarely, 5 more globally threatened species can be observed there – the Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga, the Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca and Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicolа during migration and the Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus and the Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis in winter. The fishponds are one of the most important sites in the country at European Union level for the Ferruginous Duck, the Little Bittern, the Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus, the Black Tern Chlidonias niger, the Dalmatian Pelican, the Pygmy Cormorant and the Cormorant.
Threats:
The fishponds entirely depend on its artificial connection to the Danube and the maintenance of the water regime. The extensive way of fish production, which allow appearance of water floating and water fringe vegetation is crucial for the value of the area. Change of the management practice of the fishponds, including drying up the wetland during big period of time – between September and April, removal of natural vegetation in some parts, as well as turning some of the fish pools into arable land are the main human activities, which have negative impact on wetland habitats. Because of the small territory the area is sensible to all kind of disturbance by human activities such as hunting, fishing during the breeding period, collection of plants and animals. Intensification of fish production will cause further deterioration of the key habitats for birds. Big investment projects related to international transport corridor No1 – Danube River will cause permanent change in the hydrological regime of the wetlands, as it is directly related to Danube.
Legal protection:
The area does not have legal protection by the national conservation legislation. In 1998 the fishponds themselves and the Batin Island are appointed as CORINE Sites because of their European value for habitats, rare and threatened plant and animal species, including birds. The CORINE Sites cover more than 60% of the area proposed as SPA. In 1997 the area is appointed as Important Bird Area by BirdLife International. The proposed SPA borders a proposed Special Protection Area in Romania.
