The Ramsar Sites Criteria The
nine criteria for identifying Wetlands of International Importance
Group A of the Criteria. Sites containing representative, rare or
unique wetland types
Criterion 1: A wetland should be considered internationally
important if it contains a representative, rare, or unique example of a natural
or near-natural wetland type found within the appropriate biogeographic region.
Group B of the Criteria. Sites of international importance for
conserving biological diversity Criteria based on species and ecological
communities
Criterion 2: A wetland should be considered internationally
important if it supports vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered
species or threatened ecological communities.
Criterion 3: A wetland should be considered internationally
important if it supports populations of plant and/or animal species
important for maintaining the biological diversity of a particular
biogeographic region.
Criterion 4: A wetland should be considered internationally
important if it supports plant and/or animal species at a critical stage
in their life cycles, or provides refuge during adverse conditions.
Specific criteria based on waterbirds
Criterion 5: A wetland should be considered internationally
important if it regularly supports 20,000 or more waterbirds.
Criterion 6: A wetland should be considered internationally
important if it regularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population
of one species or subspecies of waterbird.
Specific criteria based on fish
Criterion 7: A wetland should be considered internationally
important if it supports a significant proportion of indigenous fish
subspecies, species or families, life-history stages, species interactions
and/or populations that are representative of wetland benefits and/or values and
thereby contributes to global biological diversity.
Criterion 8: A wetland should be considered internationally
important if it is an important source of food for fishes, spawning
ground, nursery and/or migration path on which fish stocks, either within
the wetland or elsewhere, depend.
Specific criteria based on other taxa
Criterion 9: A wetland should be considered internationally
important if it regularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population
of one species or subspecies of wetland-dependent non-avian animal
species.