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The site was identified as important 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 List1	Season	Year(s)	Size	IBA criteria
Brent Goose Branta bernicla	LC	winter	2001-2006	216 individuals	B1i, C3
Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii	LC	breeding	2000	4 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii	LC	breeding	2006	4 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	LC	breeding	2000	521 breeding pairs	C6
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	LC	breeding	2006	743 breeding pairs	C6
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	LC	breeding	2000	348 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	LC	breeding	2006	465 breeding pairs	B2, C6

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2007) may differ.

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	Reference	Actual	Units	% remaining	Result
Brent Goose Branta bernicla	220	216	individuals	99	favourable
Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii	7	5	breeding pairs	72	near favourable
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	220	743	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	235	465	breeding pairs	100	favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Natural system modifications	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Pollution	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A management plan exists but it is out of date or not comprehensive	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity	medium

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1973	Larne Lough Islands	Nature Reserve	<1
1995	Larne Lough	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	100
1996	LARNE LOUGH	Area of Special Scientific Interest (NI)	100
1997	Larne Lough	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	100
2011	Larne Lough	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	54

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		-
Marine Intertidal		-
Marine Neritic		-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	-
fisheries/aquaculture	-
nature conservation and research	-
tourism/recreation	-
urban/industrial/transport	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Larne Lough (United Kingdom). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/larne-lough-iba-united-kingdom on 23/11/2024.