Lake Vistonis, Porto Lagos, Lake Ismaris & adjoining lagoons. 21/08/75; Rodopi, Xanthi; 24,396 ha; 41°03'N 025°11'E. Added to the Montreux Record, 4 July 1990. Special Protection Area EC Directive; No Hunting Zone. Prior to December 1996, there were two separate Ramsar sites, Lake Vistonis and Lake Mitrou, which were merged to form the current site.The site includes a wetland complex, encompassing a coastal lake (Vistonis), the Porto Lagos saline lagoon, six shallow saltwater adjoining lagoons separated from the sea by a sandy beach, and a freshwater shallow lake (Ismaris). The coastal lagoons are fringed by saltmarsh, extensive mudflats, reedbeds and scrub, and freshwater marsh. The area is important for breeding birds, and large numbers of various species of waterbirds occur in winter, such as Pelecanus crispus and P. onocrotalus. Human activities include commercial fishing, livestock grazing, groundwater exploitation, recreation and hunting. High demand for irrigation water, associated changes in salinity, and agricultural, domestic and industrial run-off led to the sites listing on the Montreux Record in 1990. Ramsar site no. 55. Most recent RIS information: 1998.

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