Ramsar sites in the UK, its Overseas Territories and Crown
Dependencies
Ramsar sites are wetlands of international
importance designated under the Ramsar Convention.
Sites proposed for selection are advised by the UK statutory nature
conservation agencies, or the relevant administration in the case
of Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies, co-ordinated
through JNCC. In selecting sites, the relevant authorities are
guided by the
Criteria set out in the Convention. The UK also has a national
Ramsar Committee composed of experts who provide further
advice.
In the UK, the first Ramsar sites were designated
in 1976. Since then, many more have been designated. Compared to
many countries, the UK has a relatively large number of Ramsar
sites, but they tend to be smaller in size than many countries. The
initial emphasis was on selecting sites of importance to waterbirds
within the UK, and consequently many Ramsar sites are also Special
Protection Areas (SPAs) classified under the Birds Directive.
However, greater attention is now being directed towards the
selection of Ramsar sites in UK Overseas Territories and Crown
Dependencies; the first of these was designated in 1990. Both
within the UK and overseas, non-bird features are increasingly
taken into account, both in the selection of new sites and when
reviewing existing sites. A summary table showing the number of
designated and proposed Ramsar sites is available, along with a
full list of Ramsar sites for either the whole UK, or each
individual country (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) and
the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
GIS
boundary data for Ramsar sites in the UK is available
for download, and a summary spreadsheet with further information on
Ramsar sites in the UK and its Overseas Territories and Crown
Dependencies will soon be available.