For Special Protection Areas (SPA),
Proposed Sites for Community Importance (pSCI),
Sites of Community Importance (SCI) and
for Special Areas of Conservation (SAC)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• 1. SITE IDENTIFICATION
• 2. SITE LOCATION
• 3. ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION
• 4. SITE DESCRIPTION
• 5. SITE PROTECTION STATUS
• 6. SITE MANAGEMENT
• 7. MAP OF THE SITE

1. SITE IDENTIFICATION

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1.1 Type

A

1.2 Site code

IE0004143

1.3 Site name

Cahore Marshes SPA

1.4 First Compilation date

2004-08

1.5 Update date

2018-09

1.6 Respondent:

Name/Organisation:	National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
Address:
Email:	datadelivery@chg.gov.ie

1.7 Site indication and designation / classification dates

Date site classified as SPA:	2010-08
National legal reference of SPA designation	No information provided

2. SITE LOCATION

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2.1 Site-centre location [decimal degrees]:

Longitude:	-6.219089
Latitude:	52.541080

2.2 Area [ha]

191.5224

2.3 Marine area [%]

0.0000

2.4 Sitelength [km] (optional):

No information provided

2.5 Administrative region code and name

NUTS level 2 code	Region Name
IE02	Southern and Eastern

2.6 Biogeographical Region(s)

Atlantic

(0.00 %)

3. ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION

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3.1 Habitat types present on the site and assessment for them

No habitat types are reported for the site

3.2 Species referred to in Article 4 of Directive 2009/147/EC and listed in Annex II of Directive 92/43/EEC and site evaluation for them

Species					Population in the site						Site assessment
G	Code	Scientific Name	S	NP	T	Size		Unit	Cat.	D.qual.	A|B|C|D	A|B|C
						Min	Max				Pop.	Con.	Iso.	Glo.
B	A056	Anas clypeata			w	40	40	i		G	C	B	C	B
B	A052	Anas crecca			w	417	417	i		G	C	C	C	C
B	A050	Anas penelope			w	1661	1661	i		G	C	B	C	B
B	A053	Anas platyrhynchos			w	244	244	i		G	C	C	C	C
B	A395	Anser albifrons flavirostris			w	634	634	i		G	B	A	C	B
B	A037	Cygnus columbianus bewickii			w	12	12	i		G	B	C	C	C
B	A038	Cygnus cygnus			w	23	23	i		G	C	C	C	C
B	A179	Larus ridibundus			w	326	326	i		G	C	C	C	C
B	A160	Numenius arquata			w	635	635	i		G	C	B	C	B
B	A140	Pluvialis apricaria			w	6038	6038	i		G	B	A	C	B
B	A048	Tadorna tadorna			w	28	28	i		G	C	C	C	C
B	A142	Vanellus vanellus			w	3455	3455	i		G	C	B	C	B

• Group: A = Amphibians, B = Birds, F = Fish, I = Invertebrates, M = Mammals, P = Plants, R = Reptiles
• S: in case that the data on species are sensitive and therefore have to be blocked for any public access enter: yes
• NP: in case that a species is no longer present in the site enter: x (optional)
• Type: p = permanent, r = reproducing, c = concentration, w = wintering (for plant and non-migratory species use permanent)
• Unit: i = individuals, p = pairs or other units according to the Standard list of population units and codes in accordance with Article 12 and 17 reporting (see reference portal)
• Abundance categories (Cat.): C = common, R = rare, V = very rare, P = present - to fill if data are deficient (DD) or in addition to population size information
• Data quality: G = 'Good' (e.g. based on surveys); M = 'Moderate' (e.g. based on partial data with some extrapolation); P = 'Poor' (e.g. rough estimation); VP = 'Very poor' (use this category only, if not even a rough estimation of the population size can be made, in this case the fields for population size can remain empty, but the field "Abundance categories" has to be filled in)

3.3 Other important species of flora and fauna (optional)

Species					Population in the site				Motivation
Group	CODE	Scientific Name	S	NP	Size		Unit	Cat.	Species Annex		Other categories
					Min	Max		C|R|V|P	IV	V	A	B	C	D
P		Ceratophyllum submersum												X
P		Equisetum x moorei									X

• Group: A = Amphibians, B = Birds, F = Fish, Fu = Fungi, I = Invertebrates, L = Lichens, M = Mammals, P = Plants, R = Reptiles
• CODE: for Birds, Annex IV and V species the code as provided in the reference portal should be used in addition to the scientific name
• S: in case that the data on species are sensitive and therefore have to be blocked for any public access enter: yes
• NP: in case that a species is no longer present in the site enter: x (optional)
• Unit: i = individuals, p = pairs or other units according to the standard list of population units and codes in accordance with Article 12 and 17 reporting, (see reference portal)
• Cat.: Abundance categories: C = common, R = rare, V = very rare, P = present
• Motivation categories: IV, V: Annex Species (Habitats Directive), A: National Red List data; B: Endemics; C: International Conventions; D: other reasons

4. SITE DESCRIPTION

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4.1 General site character

Habitat class	% Cover
N14	60.00
N08	2.00
N06	1.00
N02	2.00
N04	35.00
Total Habitat Cover	100

Other Site Characteristics

Cahore Marshes SPA is located just south of Cahore Point on the north Co. Wexford coast. It comprises an area of polder grassland and some arable land interspersed by canals and drainage channels. The drainage canals and sluices were installed in the mid-19th century to reclaim wetlands and land that flooded regularly behind the sand dunes. Seawater may occasionally enter the channels and create brackish conditions. The area is underlain by rocks of Cambrian age.

4.2 Quality and importance

The site of high ornithological importance for wintering waterfowl, with nationally important populations of Anser albifrons flavirostris, Anas penelope, Pluvialis apricaria and Vanellus vanellus. The geese use the site as a feeding area, commuting each day from Wexford Harbour. The Pluvialis apricaria population is over 3% of the all-Ireland total. The site also supports other species in smaller numbers, including Cygnus columbarius bewickii and Cygnus cygnus. Sterna albifrons formerly bred on the beach but not in the recent past.

4.3 Threats, pressures and activities with impacts on the site

The most important impacts and activities with high effect on the site

4.4 Ownership (optional)

No information provided

4.5 Documentation (optional)

Crowe, O. (2005). Ireland's Wetlands and their Waterbirds: Status and Distribution. BirdWatch Ireland, Newcastle, Co. Wicklow. Crowe, O., Austin, G.E., Colhoun, K., Cranswick, P.A., Kershaw, M. and Musgrove, A.J. (2008). Estimates and trends of waterbird numbers wintering in Ireland 1994/95 to 2003/04. Bird Study 55: 66-77. Colhoun, K. (2001). I-WeBS Report 1998-99. BirdWatch Ireland, Dublin. Fox, T., Francis, I. and Walsh, A. (2008). Report of the 2007/2008 International Census of Greenland White-Fronted Geese. Greenland White-fronted Goose Study and NPWS. Fox, A.D., Norriss, D.W., Stroud, D.A. and Wilson, H.J. (1994). Greenland White-fronted Geese in Ireland and Britain 1982/83 - 1993/94. Greenland White-fronted Goose Study research report no. 8. Greenland White-fronted Goose Study, Wales and National Parks and Wildlife Service, Dublin. Healy, B. (2002). The Cahore Drainage System. Report prepared for the Wexford Wetland Project. Unpublished. Hunt, J., Derwin, J., Coveney, J. and Newton, S. (2000). Republic of Ireland. Pp. 365-416 in Heath, M.F. and Evans, M.I. (eds). Important Bird Areas in Europe: Priority Sites for Conservation 1: Northern Europe. Cambridge, UK: BirdLife International (BirdLife Conservation Series No. 8). McGarrigle, M.L., Bowman, J.J., Clabby, K.J., Lucey, J., Cunningham, P., MacCarthaigh, M., Keegan, M., Cantrell, B., Lehane, M., Clenaghan, C. and Toner, P.F. (2002). Water Qulality in Ireland 1998-2000. Environmental Protection Agency, Wexford. Robinson, J.A, Colhoun, K., McElwaine, J.G. and Rees, E.C. (2004a). Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus (Iceland population) in Britain and Ireland 1960/61 - 1999/2000. Waterbird Review Series, The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust/Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Slimbridge. Robinson, J.A, Colhoun, K., McElwaine, J.G. and Rees, E.C. (2004b). Bewick's Swan Cygnus columbianus bewickii (Northwest Europe population) in Britain and Ireland 1960/61 - 1999/2000. Waterbird Review Series, The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust/Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Slimbridge. Sheppard, R. (1993). Ireland's Wetland Wealth. IWC, Dublin.

5. SITE PROTECTION STATUS

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6. SITE MANAGEMENT

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6.1 Body(ies) responsible for the site management:

No information provided

6.2 Management Plan(s):

An actual management plan does exist:

	Yes
	No, but in preparation
X	No

6.3 Conservation measures (optional)

No information provided

 

7. MAP OF THE SITE

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Map delivered as PDF in electronic format (optional)

Yes X No

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SITE DISPLAY