Nestos delta & adjoining lagoons. 21/08/75; Xanthi; 21,930 ha; 40°54'N 024°47'E. Added to the Montreux Record, 4 July 1990. Special Protection Area EC Directive; No Hunting Zone. An extensive delta complex, including saltmarshes, freshwater lakes supporting nationally rare plant species, coastal lagoons, a dune system, and the largest remaining area of riparian forest in Greece. The delta is the most important breeding site in Europe for about 40 pairs of plover and supports various species of nesting and up to 50,000 wintering birds, including four pairs of the globally threatened sea eagle Haliaetus albicilla. Land use within the site includes forestry, seasonal cultivation of the river bed, grazing, commercial fishing, and groundwater exploitation. Decreasing groundwater levels resulting from increasing irrigation demands and dam construction led to the 1990 designation of the site on the Montreux Record. Ramsar site no. 56. Most recent RIS information: 1998.