The Ramsar Bulletin Board, 4 April 2005

Headline story. USA designates Hawaiian site for WWD 2005.The Government of the USA designated three new Wetlands of International Importance in celebration of World Wetlands Day 2005, two of which have been reported earlier, Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve (TRNERR) and Grassland Ecological Area, both in the state of California. A third designation is now ready to be added to the Ramsar List, Kawainui and Hamakua Marsh Complex (414 hectares, 21°24'N 157°45'W). Sacred to Hawaiians, Kawainui Marsh, the largest remaining emergent wetland in Hawaii and Hawaii's largest ancient freshwater fishpond, is located in what was once the center of a caldera of the Koolau shield volcano. The marsh provides primary habitat for four of Hawaii's endemic and endangered waterbirds, including Laysan Duck and Hawaiian Goose or Nene, and contains archaeological and cultural resources, including ancient walled taro water gardens (lo'i) where fish were also cultivated. Kawainui Marsh stores surface water, providing flood protection for adjacent Kailua town, one of the largest towns on the windward side of O'ahu. Hamakua Marsh is a smaller wetland historically connected to and immediately downstream of Kawainui Marsh, which also provides significant habitat for several of Hawaii's endemic and endangered waterbirds. Here is a map and some photos, and an extract from the Ramsar Information Sheet on the cultural values of the new site. [04/04/05]

Headline story.Argentina names urban wetland for the Ramsar List. The Secretariat is pleased to report that, effective as of World Water Day, 22 March 2005, the Government of Argentina has designated the Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur (353 hectares, 34º37'S 058º21'W). Declared a Natural Park and Ecological Reserve in 1986, the site is located in the east of Buenos Aires, the most populated city in Argentina. The site sustains a large population of Cygnus melancorphus swans and other waterfowl. In total, 250 species of birds, nine of amphibians, 23 of reptiles, 10 of mammals and 50 of butterflies have been identified in the area. Plant varieties also include 245 species from 55 families. Most of these species are highly representative of the biological diversity occurring in the region. Here are a few illustrations. [01/04/05]

Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur.22/03/2005; Buenos Aires; 353 ha; 34º37'S 058º21'W. Declarada Parque Natural y Zona de Reserva Ecológica en 1986, Costanera Sur esta localizada en el extremo este de Buenos Aires, ciudad mas populosa de Argentina. El sitio es hábitat de al menos 250 especies de aves, incluyendo a una población considerable de cisnes de cuello negro (Cygnus melancorphus). Otras variedades presentes en la zona incluyen a 9 especies de anfibios, 23 de reptiles, 10 de mamíferos y 50 de mariposas. Las variedades de flora también incluyen a 245 especies de 55 familias. La mayoría de estas especies son altamente representativas de la diversidad biológica presente en la región.

Yesterday's News!

UK designates three offshore Ramsar sites in the Channel Islands. The United Kingdom's Department of Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (defra) has informed the Secretariat of its designation of three new Ramsar sites effective World Wetlands Day, 2 February 2005, all of them reef and shoal systems off-shore from the Channel Island of Jersey. With huge tidal ranges in the area of the Golfe de St-Malo along the northwestern coast of France, all three sites present an array of reef and intertidal habitat types. Les Écréhous & Les Dirouilles, Jersey (5,459 hectares, 49°18'N 001°58'W) consists of two reefs which form an extensive shoal area on the east of Jersey. Les Minquiers, Jersey (9,575 ha, 48°58'N 002°07'W) is an extensive shoal area lying 34 kilometres due south from Saint Helier on Jersey. Les Pierres de Lecq (the Paternosters), Jersey (512 ha, 49°18'N 002°12'W) is an extensive reef uncovered at low tide, lying off the northwest coast of Jersey. The UK now has 162 Wetlands of International Importance, nearly 100 more than Australia with 64. Our new colleague, Assistant Advisor for Europe Dorothea August, has prepared these brief illustrated site descriptions based upon the Ramsar Information Sheets submitted with the designations. [31/03/05]

The Republic of Korea names island peatlands. The Secretariat is very pleased to announce that the Republic of Korea has designated a beautiful island peatland area as its third Wetland of International Importance, effective 30 March 2005. Jangdo Island High Moor in Chollanam-do province (34°41'N 125°23'E) is one of 1,596 islands that are part of the Tadohae-Haesang National Park. Ramsar's Shahzia Khan describes the new site, based on information provided by the Administrative Authority, as a pristine mountainous wetland (230-267m asl) that is the largest high moor associated with the Korean Peninsula, surrounded by beautiful marine landscapes with five major areas of high moor, mountainous area, small streams, transferred zone and residential area. The high moor contains thick layers of peat (depth 70 cm- 80 cm) on clay beds, which make it the largest source of high quality freshwater in the island critical for the surviving species of 294 plants, 146 of insects, 5 of amphibians and reptiles, 44 of birds. Human settlements lie around the lower ridges of the high moor. It provides a habitat for national Natural Monuments and IUCN Red-listed species like Falco peregrinus, the otter Lutra lutra, the orchid Dendrobium minutiflorum, Hobbseus cristatus, and Marsdenia robusta. Nearly 50% of the wetland is forested peatlands dominated by Machilus thunbergii, Salix spp. and Camellia japonica. Prior to designation as a National Wetland Conservation Area in 2004, the main land use involved grazing -- currently, all activities are strictly prohibited for protection. The site was recently proposed for ecotourism with plans for awareness raising, bird observation and site patrolling. The jurisdiction is under the South Cholla Province and managed by the Nature Environment Division, Environment Bureau of Yeongsang River Basin Environment Office. Ramsar Site No. 1458. Photos and map here. [31/03/05]

Now available.Draft agreed of High Andean strategy. In furtherance of Ramsar Resolution VIII.39 “High Andean wetlands as strategic ecosystems” and with the support of several partners such as Danone-Evian, Minera Escondida, and others, members of the Contact Group (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, BirdLife, IUCN, WI, WWF, the International Working Group on Páramos (Grupo Páramo), and the Ramsar Secretariat) met in Salta, Argentina, 13-17 February to finalise a draft joint strategy for the conservation and sustainable use of High Andean ecosystems, and its action plan. The group made considerable progress and the strategy and action plan are being circulated for comments at the national level. The 56-page report of the meeting is available here in Spanish (PDF). [29/03/05]

En cumplimiento con la Resolución VIII.39 “Los humedales altoandinos como ecosistemas estratégicos”, con el apoyo de varios socios tales como Danone-Evian, Minera Escondida y otros, los miembros del Grupo de Contacto (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Perú y Venezuela, BirdLife, IUCN, WI, WWF, el Grupo Internacional de Trabajo en Páramos (Grupo Páramo) y el Grupo para la Conservación de Flamencos Alto-andinos (GCFA), y la Secretaría de Ramsar) se reunieron en Salta, Argentina del 13 al 17 de febrero de 2005 para finalizar el borrador de la estrategia conjunta para la conservación y uso sostenible de los ecosistemas altoandinos, y su Plan de Acción. El Grupo hizo importantes avances y el la estrategia y el plan de acción están siendo circulados en los países para comentarios. El informe esta disponible aquí.

Ramsar Regional Center launched in Iran. "Together with best wishes for you in Persian New Solar Calendar Year 1384 , I am pleased to announce the establishment of the "Ramsar Regional Center for Central and West Asia" in Ramsar city, Iran.For more information about the "Center" please visit: www.ramsarcenter-cwa.org. Highest Regards, Abdolhamid Amirebrahimi, Interim Secretary, RRC-CWA, Ramsar, Iran." [27/03/05]

Jamaica names second Ramsar site.The Secretariat is very pleased to announce that Jamaica has designated its second Wetland of International Importance -- Palisadoes - Port Royal (7,523 hectares, 17º55'N 076º49'W) has been added to the Ramsar List with an effective date, at the request of the National Environment and Planning Agency, of Earth Day, 22 April 2005. According to Adrián Ruiz-Carvajal, Ramsar Assistant Advisor for the Americas, based on data supplied with the Ramsar Information Sheet or RIS, the new Ramsar site is located on the southeastern coast just offshore from the capital Kingston, and it features cays, shoals, mangrove lagoons, mangrove islands, coral reefs, seagrass beds and shallow water, thus hosting a variety of underrepresented wetland types. Endangered and vulnerable species occurring in the area include American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), green turtle (Chelonia mydas), Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) and bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). To date 26 endemic new species have been discovered in the area. Historic and cultural values are very high, as the site includes forts on the dunes and part of the city of Port Royal, said to have been the largest city in the Americas, which sank in an earthquake in 1692 and is now a unique archaeological treasure. A management plan is in place, and the University of the West Indies operates research facilities.

Palisadoes - Port Royal joins Black River Lower Morass as Jamaica's second Wetland of International Importance, now totaling 13,223 hectares -- the Convention's 144 Parties now have 1422 Ramsar sites, totaling 123,931,878 hectares. Some photographs and a map of the new site can be seen here. [27/03/05]

Now available.Documents for African Regional Meeting. Many of the background and discussion documents for the Regional Meeting set for Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania, 4-8 April 2005, are now available here. [15/03/05]

Now available.Report of the Standing Committee Subgroup meetings. The SC Subgroups on COP9 and on Finance met at the Secretariat facilities in Switzerland during the week of 7-10 March and continued their preparations for the next full meeting of the Standing Committee, SC31, set for June 2005. The full report of the Subgroup on COP9 is now ready, with lists of the participants and their contacts. As is the Ramsar tradition, the Report can be seen only in English, but the Decisions of the meeting will soon be available in English, French, and Spanish. There is no full report of the Subgroup on Finance's meeting, but its decisions are appended to the COP9 Subgroup's report. Click here to view the report in HTML or PDF. [18/03/05]

New book on New Zealand's wetlands. Our friend Philippe Gerbeaux (STRP National Focal Point for New Zealand) and his colleague Peter Johnson have completed a highly detailed and lavishly illustrated study of New Zealand's wetland types that provides both an excellent look at that country's wetlands themselves and an enlightening discussion of wetland classification systems and how to work with them. This book is the final output of an NZ Ministry for the Environment project on coordinated monitoring of New Zealand wetlands, which has sought to develop a coordinated approach and standardised eco-classification to facilitate international reporting under the Ramsar Convention and national state-of-the-environment reporting under the Resource Management Act on changes in wetland extent and condition. Here is the press release that accompanied the publication, which includes a reference to another report of potential interest to Ramsar News readers, on the identification of rivers of national importance, another Ministry for the Environment's project. [17/03/05]

Wetland Activist Elected "Mujer Cafam 2005". After 25 years of dedication to protecting the La Cocha lagoon and Ramsar site in Colombia, Ms. Concepción ("Conchita") Matabanchoy has been awarded the "Mujer Cafam 2005" (Cafam Woman 2005) prize. Ms. Matabanchoy has a long history working with local peasants to build an alternative development model in Colombia while protecting one of Colombia's most important wetlands. The Ramsar Secretariat congratulates Ms. Matabanchoy on this occasion. [15/03/05]

Defensora de la laguna La Cocha nombrada "Mujera Cafam 2005". Tras una larga trayectoria al frente de los esfuerzos por proteger la laguna La Cocha en Colombia, y trabajando con grupos locales para promover un modelo alternativo de desarrollo, la Sra. Conchita Matabanchoy ha sido galardonada con el nombramiento de "Mujer Cafam 2005". El Secretariado de la Convención Ramsar presenta sus felicitaciones a la Sra. Matabanchoy en esta especial ocasión. http://www.wwf.org.co/colombia/boletin_detalle.php?lang=es&ir=b77.

Hope for the Mesopotamian Marshlands. "It was a strange sight - after eight years of bloody war in the 1980s - to have the Iraq and Iran delegations sitting amicably side by side and agreeing on working together to designate the shared Hawr Al Hawizah wetland, one of the major remaining parts of the Mesopotamian Marshlands, as a transboundary Ramsar Site of International Importance. This hopeful event occurred during the 'High-level Conference on the Restoration of the Mesopotamian Marshlands', held in Manama (Bahrain) on 28 February and 1 March 2005, co-organised by UNEP and ROPME (Regional Organisation for the Protection of the Marine Environment)." Thymio Papayannis, the Convention's MedWet Senior Advisor, reports on the meeting. [11/03/05]

Standing Committee Subgroups wrapping up their work. The Ramsar Standing Committee Subgroups on COP9 and on Finance have been meeting throughout this week and will compare notes in a joint plenary session today, 10 March. Reports of the meetings will be available soon. [10/03/05]

Announcement.Asian regional meeting dates confirmed. The dates and venue have been confirmed for the Ramsar Regional Meeting for Asia in preparation for the 9th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties next November. It will take place 13-16 May 2005 in Beijing, China. Inquiries can be directed to asia@ramsar.org. [02/03/05]

Announcement.African regional meeting dates confirmed. The Ramsar Secretariat would like to confirm that the dates for the Africa Regional Meeting for the preparation of COP9, to be held in Arusha, Tanzania, will be 4-8 April 2005. The 9th of April will be dedicated to a special session which addresses mangrove management for Ramsar coastal CPs. Please disregard any other dates indicated in previous messages.

 Le Secrétariat Ramsar souhaiterait confirmer que les dates exactes de la tenue de la Réunion Préparatoire régionale pour l'Afrique pour la COP9 qui se tiendra en Arusha, Tanzanie sont du 4 au 8 avril 2005. Le 9 avril il y aura une session sur la gestion des mangroves pour les pays côtiers partis à Ramsar. Prière ignorer toutes les autres dates indiquées dans des messages précédents. [28/02/05]

Reprint.IISD Linkages report on Ramsar Tsunami Reference Group.Here is a reprint of the Linkages report on the World Wetlands Day tsunami forum held at the Ramsar Secretariat on 2 February, with background on the Ramsar Tsunami Reference Group. [28/02/05]

Announcement. La Fundación para la Gestión Ambiental Participativa (FUNGAP-Grupo Antigua), con el apoyo del Programa de Pequeñas Donaciones para los Humedales del Comité Holandés de la UICN, desarrolla el proyecto "Experiencias Exitosas de Gestión Participativa (GAP) en humedales de las Américas". El objetivo es mediante el análisis y difusión de casos exitosos, fortalecer la aplicación de la GAP como herramienta para el cumplimiento de la Convención Ramsar, particularmente la Resolución VIII.36. Uno de los resultados será el Borrador Marco de Actuación sobre GAP como aporte regional en la elaboración de los lineamientos solicitados en esta misma resolución. Los resultados serán presentados en la COP9 de Ramsar (Uganda, 2005) donde además serán invitados a participar los dos casos más representativos de la región. Se invita a todas las ONG, Partes Contratantes de Ramsar, Comunidades, Pueblos Indígenas, Entidades Donantes y otros, a enviar sus casos antes del 24 de febrero según los criterios que se adjuntan. Aquí. [24/02/05]

Now available.Index of Ramsar COP9 preparations. Preparations are continuing for Ramsar's 9th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties, to be held at the gracious invitation of the Government of Uganda in Kampala, 8-15 November 2005. Two COP-preparatory regional meetings have already been held and their results can be seen here, with at least two regional meetings still to come, and the Standing Committee's Subgroup on COP9 will be making some substantial decisions about the arrangements and issues to be discussed when its members meet at the Ramsar Secretariat, 7-10 March 2005. An index to the COP preparations is available now and will be updated frequently over the next eight months. [23/02/05]

Feedback and suggestions are welcome to the Ramsar Convention Secretariat, Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland (tel +41 22 999 0170, fax +41 22 999 0169, e-mail ).