Ibisha Island

The Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. Bulgaria was the eighth country to sign the convention. The Ibisha Island was included in the list in 2002, and has the current territory of 372 ha. The island is covered by tree, and is located in the Danube River, eastern from the town of Lom. The biggest part of the island is vegetated with the typical for the Danube islands bay forests of European alder /Alnus glutinosa/, White /Salix alba/ and Crack Willow /Salix fragilis/, White poplar /Populus alba/ and Black poplar /Populus nigra/. The international importance of the Ibisha Island is due to the Bulgaria’s largest mix of hundreds of Heron and Cormorant. Some 9 percent of the territory were protected in 1984 by being declared a preserved area. In 1997 BirdLife International declared the place ornithology important site.