Ramsar sites are designated under the Convention of Wetlands of International Importance. The Convention was adopted in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971 and ratified by the UK Government in 1976. There are currently 150 Contracting Parties to the Convention with 1556 wetland sites designated for inclusion in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance. More information on the Ramsar Convention can be found at the website, www.ramsar.org.
The mission of the Convention is “the conservation and wise use of wetlands by national action and international cooperation as a means to achieving sustainable development throughout the world”.
51 sites wholly or partly in Scotland have been designated as Ramsar sites, covering a total area of approximately 313,000 hectares.