Messolonghi lagoons. 21/08/75; Aitoloakarnania; 33,687 ha; 38°20'N 021°15'E. Added to the Montreux Record, 4 July 1990. Special Protection Area EC Directive; No Hunting Zone. An extensive complex of brackish coastal lagoons, mudflats, saltmarsh, freshwater marsh, reedbeds, dune systems and patches of riparian forest formed within the double delta of two rivers. The site is important for breeding, staging and wintering waterbirds and exhibits a considerable degree of endemism in plant and fish species. Wintering birds include large numbers of Anatidae (ducks, geese, swans, etc.), and the globally threatened Pelecanus crispus. Human activities include commercial salt extraction (80% of national production), fishing, fish farming, livestock grazing, agriculture, and illegal construction of resort housing. Various construction works led to soil deposition that changed the hydrology and geomorphology of the area. Intensive fishing techniques, cattle grazing, and illegal hunting cause problems. These issues led to the site's designation on the Montreux Record in 1990. Ramsar site no. 62. Most recent RIS information: 1998.