Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2004 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus | LC | winter (2003) | present | A4i |
| Brent Goose Branta bernicla | LC | winter (2003) | present | A4i |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2004. The most recent assessment (2015) is shown below.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2015 | moderate | low | very low |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | habitat | - | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat | Quantity (% remaining) | Quality (% carrying capacity) | Result |
| Marine Neritic | good (>90%) | moderate (70–90%) | moderate |
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| No known threats | past (and unlikely to return) and no longer limiting | few individuals/small area (<10%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Little/none of area covered (<10%) | No management planning has taken place | Some limited conservation initiatives are in place | very low |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | Mutsu Bay National Monument | Other (-) | - |
| - | Mutsu Bay Wildlife Protection Area (Local) | Other (-) | - |
| 1953 | Asamushi natsudomari | 都道府県立自然公園 (V) | 2 |
| 1971 | Kominato | 国指定鳥獣保護区 (IV) | 44 |
| 1983 | Aomori Prefectural Marine Zone Fisheries Coordination Regulations Article35 (iV) of the table | 保護水面 (IV) | <1 |
| 1983 | Mutsu - City Ashizaki - Bay | Fisheries Resources Protected Area (IV) | - |
| 1985 | Ominato | 都道府県指定鳥獣保護区 (IV) | 36 |
| 2003 | Common fishery right area(Aomori) | 共同漁業権区域 (VI) | 85 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Intertidal | major (>10) | |
| Marine Neritic | major (>10) |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Mutsu bay (Japan). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/mutsu-bay-iba-japan on 23/12/2024.