• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2007 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:

Species	Red List	Season (year/s of estimate)	Size	IBA criteria
Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca	VU	winter (2002–2004)	18,954 birds	A4i, B1i
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	LC	winter (2001–2006)	7,180 birds	C6
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter (2001–2006)	23,866 birds	A4iii, C4

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2007. The most recent assessment (2007) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Actual vs Reference (units)	% remaining	Result
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	7,180 / 4,520 (birds)	100	good
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata	493 / 1,250 (birds)	40	poor
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	23,866 / 33,038 (birds)	73	moderate

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Energy production and mining	likely in short term (<4 years)	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	medium
Pollution	past (and unlikely to return) and no longer limiting	whole of popul­ation/area (>90%)	rapid decline (>30% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Biological resource use	past (and unlikely to return) and no longer limiting	whole of popul­ation/area (>90%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Designation	Planning	Action	Result
Most of area (50–90%) covered (including the most critical parts for important bird species)	No management plan exists, but the management planning process has begun	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
1933	Gower	Nature Reserve (V)	<1
1953	Arfordir Pen-Bre/Pembrey Coast	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	8
1953	Twyni Lacharn-Pentywyn/Laugharne and Pendine Burrows	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	4
1953	Gower Coast: Rhossili to Porteynon	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	<1
1954	St. Margaret's Island	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	<1
1956	Gower	Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (V)	1
1958	Gower Coast	National Nature Reserve (IV)	<1
1964	Whiteford	National Nature Reserve (IV)	<1
1965	Twyni Chwitffordd, Morfa Landim“r a Bae Brychdwn/Whiteford Burrows, Landimore Marsh and Broughton Ba	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	1
1967	Arfordir Saundersfoot - Telpyn/Saundersfoot - Telpyn Coast	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	<1
1972	Rhossili Down	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	<1
1983	Wharley Point	Nature Reserve (V)	<1
1987	Craig Ddu-Wharley Point Cliffs	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	<1
1988	Arfordir Marros-Pentywyn/Marros Pendine Coast	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	<1
1998	Afon Tywi	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	2
1998	Waterwynch Bay to Saundersfoot Harbour	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	<1
1998	Lydstep Head to Tenby Burrows	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	<1
1998	Tenby Cliffs and St. Catherine's Island	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	<1
2002	Aber Taf/Taf Estuary	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	3
2005	Carmarthen Bay and Estuaries / Bae Caerfyrddin ac Aberoedd	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR) (UA)	92
2005	Limestone Coast of South West Wales / Arfordir Calchfaen de Orllewin Cymru	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR) (UA)	<1
2011	Bae Caerfyrddin / Carmarthen Bay	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR) (UA)	68
2017	Bristol Channel Approaches / Dynesfeydd Môr Hafren	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive) (UA)	83

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Marine Intertidal	major (>10)
Marine Neritic	major (>10)
Artificial/Terrestrial	minor (<10)
Grassland	minor (<10)
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	minor (<10)

Land use	% of IBA
fisheries/aquaculture	-
tourism/recreation	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Bae Caerfyrddin/Carmarthen Bay (United Kingdom). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/bae-caerfyrddin-carmarthen-bay-iba-united-kingdom on 26/12/2024.