Etang de Salses-Leucate
- Country:France
- Site number:2307
- Area:7,637 ha
- Designation date:30-06-2017
- Coordinates:42°50'N 02°59'E
Materials presented on this website, particularly maps and territorial information, are as-is and as-available based on available data and do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
Overview
The Site consists of the Salses-Leucate coastal lagoon and its peripheral wetlands; it represents a typical Mediterranean coastal area. A wide range of habitats with different levels of salinity, depth and vegetation cover provide favourable conditions for a range of animal and plant species, most notably birds such as the locally-rare common snipe Gallinago gallinago and Eurasian curlew Numenius arquata, turtles such as the European pond turtle Emys orbicularis, bats such as the vulnerable long-fingered bat Myotis capaccinii and a large number of fish, including the critically endangered European eel Anguilla anguilla. The Site is also important for its fisheries, with traditional fishing techniques still practiced, and for its regulatory functions such as flood control, water purification and groundwater recharge and discharge. Special attention is paid to minimize the effect on the Site of the significant tourism and recreation. Visitor facilities include an interpretation centre and trails around the pond while various public awareness activities can be enjoyed in summer. Other potential issues include urbanisation, drainage, salinisation and invasive alien species. A management plan for the Site is being implemented and a restoration plan is being prepared.
Administrative region:
Languedoc-Roussillon (Occitanie)
- Regional (international) legal designations:
- EU Natura 2000
- Last publication date:04-07-2017
Downloads
Ramsar Information Sheet (RIS)
Site map
Additional reports and documents
- Taxonomic lists of plant and animal species occurring in the site
- A detailed Ecological Character Description (ECD)
- Site management plan
- Other published literature