Ramsar Convention

The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, signed at Ramsar, Iran, in 1971 and in force 1975, is the intergovernmental treaty for the conservation and wise use of wetlands. Parties designate wetlands for the List of Wetlands of International Importance and commit to their conservation and the sustainable use of all wetlands in their territory. Its relevance to shipping is environmental: many designated sites lie in estuaries, deltas, and coastal lagoons adjacent to ports and approach channels, constraining dredging, reclamation, and oil-spill response planning.