Some wetlands are protected by what’s known as the Ramsar Convention. Its full name is the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance.
The convention was first signed in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971. It aims to promote and protect wetlands throughout the world. Today, it recognises and protects more than 192 million hectares of wetlands.
Countries that sign up to the convention can nominate sites to be listed as Wetlands of International Importance. These are referred to as Ramsar sites and must meet at least one of 9 internationally accepted criteria.
For example, the wetlands might support a large population of animals and plants, provide habitats for threatened or endangered species, or be unique in their region.
Australia has 65 Ramsar sites covering more than 8.3 million hectares, an area bigger than Tasmania. Provisions for their protection are outlined in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Ramsar sites in New South Wales
These wetlands are on a range of land tenures, including national parks and nature reserves, state forests, Crown land and private land.
There are 12 Ramsar sites in New South Wales:
- Blue Lake
- Fivebough and Tuckerbil Swamps
- Gwydir Wetlands
- Hunter Estuary Wetlands
- Lake Pinaroo (Fort Grey Basin)
- Little Llangothlin Nature Reserve
- Macquarie Marshes
- Myall Lakes
- Narran Lake Nature Reserve
- NSW Central Murray Forests
- Paroo River Wetlands
- Towra Point.
Protecting NSW Ramsar sites
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water is responsible for implementing the Ramsar Convention in New South Wales.
Under the convention, New South Wales is required to protect the ecological character of its Ramsar sites. This involves implementing policies that aim to guarantee conservation and sustainable use of wetlands
It also involves monitoring the condition of Ramsar sites to find out if there are any significant changes to the wetlands and the plants and animals they support. This means the department is responsible for:
- coordinating which wetlands are to be nominated for listing as Ramsar sites
- advising on how existing Ramsar wetlands are managed
- managing Ramsar wetlands in national parks and reserves
- promoting the values of the Ramsar Convention
- reporting to the Australian Government on how the convention is being implemented in New South Wales.
Many other organisations and individuals are involved in Ramsar wetlands in New South Wales. They include the Ramsar Convention Secretariat, Australian Government, local governments, landowners and community groups.
The guide Delivering the Ramsar Convention in New South Wales explains the roles and responsibilities of Ramsar site managers.