The Manawatu Estuary provides refuge for hundreds of birds on their seasonal migration, such as Godwits, Red Knots and Wrybill. It is mainly due to the critical support the estuary provides for the Wrybill that the Estuary fulfils the criteria to have it internationally recognised as a Ramsar Site.
The 'Ramsar Convention' on Wetlands was adopted in 1975, and it's mission states:
'the conservation and wise use of wetlands by national action and international cooperation as a means to achieving sustainable development throughout the world'
Wise use is defined as:
'sustainable utilisation for the benefit of mankind in a way compatible with the maintenance of the natural properties of the ecosystem'
The Manawatu Estuary Trust think that the Manawatu estuary fits into thiscriteria and plan to have it internationally recognised as a Ramsar site. The name Ramsar comes from Ramsar, Iran where a meeting was held in 1971. The Ramsar Convention Bureau is in Switzerland.
They have the approval of the Department of Conservation to go ahead with the application, which was completed in November 2003 by Joan Leckie.
For more information on the Ramsar Convention visit the Ramsar website.
|
)
