State: DobrichArea: 3195,44 ха
Ownership: state - 38%; municipality - 14%; private - 48%;
Description:
The complex includes the lakes of Shabla and Ezerets and the Shabla Tuzla, located over Sarmatian limestones in noreastern-eastern Bulgaria, 5 km north-east of the town of Shabla. The name Shabla Lake unites two closely located coastal firth lakes – Shabla and Ezerets – connected through an artificial canal. On the eastt the lake is separated from the sea by a 30--50 m sand strip. The lake is on the territory of a governmental residence property. The Shabla Tuzla is a semi-saline lagoon, located at 1.5 km south-east of Shabla Lake and separated from the sea by high dunes. The banks of the lagoon are overgrown with huge reedbeds, mainly of reed Phragmites australis with the participation of reed mace Typha angustifolia, Typha latifolia, Carex riparia, etc. They form the main habitat in the complex. The open water areas are also considerable. The lake is fed exceptionally by underground waters. In the area of the governmental residence buildings there are artificial park-like plantations of Eleagnus angustifolia, Syringa vulgaris, Ligustrum vulgare, Cotinus coggygria, Crataegus monogyna. To the north of Shabla Lake there are small artificial plantations of Robinia pseudoacacia and Fraxinus americana, and to the south of it – poplar cultures. The open water area prevails in the Shabla Tuzla and the hygrophyte vegetation occupies a comparatively narrow strip along its bank. The sand dunes and beach, covered with psamophyte vegetation, provide another important habitat.
Birds:
The territory of the Shabla Lake complex supports 260 bird species, 70 of which are listed in the Red Data Book for Bulgaria (1985). Of the birds occurring there 111 species are of European conservation concern (SPEC) (BirdLife International, 2004), 13 of them being listed in category SPEC 1 as globally threatened, 26 in SPEC 2 and 72 in SPEC 3 as species threatened in Europe. The area provides suitable habitats for 90 species, included in Annex 2 of the Biodiversity Act, which need special conservation measures, of which 86 are listed also in Annex I of the Birds Directive. The complex is of strategic importance for the Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis in winter, as, together with Durankulak Lake, it holds almost the entire global population of this species. Great concentrations of the White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons and single individuals of the Lesser White-fronted Goose A. erythropus are also recorded in this season. This fact defines the site as one of the most important wintering grounds of the above mentioned goose species in the world. The lake is one of the sites with considerable concentrations of Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus and Mallard Anas platyrhynchos in winter. The lake complex is an important migration station for the storks Ciconiiformes, geese Anseriformes, waders and plovers Charadriiformes. In the autumn and winter season a number of globally threatened species can be observed in the area – Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus, Pygmy Cormorant Phalacrocorax pygmeus, Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus, Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca, White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala and Greater spotted Eagle Aquila clanga. Two globally threatened species breed in the complex – the Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca and the Corncrake Crex crex. A number of other rare and threatened bird species, like the Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus and the Lesser Grey Shrike Lanius minor breed in considerable numbers. The lake complex is one of the most important sites in the country for the Kentish Plover, the Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola, the Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus, the Little Tern Sterna albifrons and the Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus.
Threats:
The whole territory of Shabla and Ezerets lakes together with the adjacent sand stripe and forested areas is included within a Governmental Residence. Fishing in the site is permitted in the limited area. Commercial fishing in the two lakes is not allowed. Underground waters are used for human consumption and irrigation for the agricultural lands. A recreation is practiced by the Residence. Cattle, sheep and goat grazing are practiced in the grasslands around the lakes. Large-size water abstraction for drinking needs and irrigation, intensive agriculture, livestock breeding, intensive hunting, small-size forestry, recreational activities (camping areas). The Shabla Lake Complex is very sensitive to all the activities, which affect the water regime or water quality of the wetlands. Current pumping of open and underground waters for drinking needs and irrigation is unregulated and incompatible with optimal water level. There is a pollution of the lakes with biogens (ammonium, nitrites, nitrates and phosphates) and organic matters as a result of an intensive agricultural activities and stock-breeding. Until the end of 1980s the dairy farm, without purifying equipment and situated in near proximity to the Shabla lake, exerted extremely unfavourable impact in this respect. The waste deposit site of the town of Shabla is located both within the site and in the catchments area of Shabla and Ezerets lakes, which are additional, cause for biogenes and toxic matters’ income into the lakes. The pollution with biogenes is the main cause for the accelerated processes of eutrophicationr and change of the balance of the water ecosystems. Frequent violations of the hunting and conservation legislation by the hunters still exist, as well as large-scaled illegal fishing with nets in Shabla Lake and especially in Ezerets Lake. The artificial stocking of cultivated races of the carp (C.carpio) is a limiting factor for the survival of the wild population of the species. The unregulated grazing of domestic animals within the site cause deterioration of wet grassland and marsh habitats. Other human activities which affect the quality of the valuable habitats are the illegal extracting of sand from the dunes at Shabla Tuzla and pollution of the whole area with rubbish; the military drills and unregulated movement of military machines in area of the site as a result of the firing ground of Bulgarian army located near the Shabla-Tuzla lake. Most of the activities of the Residence (recreation, fishing, mowing, afforestation, firing practice) are incompatible with the ecological requirements and conservation status of the site. Expansion of Fraxinus americana in the water-fringe vegetation in the northern part of Ezerets lake is observed during the last decade. There is artificial afforestation with Eleagnus angustifolia and other exotic species. Recently the area is under big pressure by plans for development of new recreation facilities, as well as construction of wind turbine farms. The intensive development of tourism connected to a building of new hotels will cause deterioration and even loss of valuable habitats, as well as significant human pressure and disturbance to birds, which is much higher than the carrying capacity of the wetland. The wind turbine farms will cause disturbed movement and fragmentation of the habitats used by migratory birds. They will be a barrier for thousands of migratory soaring birds and night migrants on their flyway to the south and north and will cause significant mortality of birds and further decline in their populations. The marine areas are subject to very intensive fishing.
Legal protection:
The Shabla Lake itself was designated as protected area in 1979 for the protection of the game and fish fauna and threatened species of waterfowl. It covers about 16% of the territory of the Complex. A management plan of the protected area has been prepared in the framework of the Bulgarian-Swiss Biodiversity Conservation Programme in the period 1995–97 and updated in 1999- 2000. It is now in a procedure of adoption by the Ministry of Environment and Waters. Since 1995 the lake has been designated as Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention. In 1989 the area was designated as Important Bird Area by BirdLife International. In 1998 it become CORINE Site because of its European value for rare and threatened habitats, plant and animal species, including birds.
