World Wetlands Day 2012

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25 Jan 2012

Wet Wet Wet - Celebrate World Wetlands Day February 2nd

The Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife is encouraging all Australians to get out and visit their nearest wetland to celebrate World Wetlands Day on Thursday February 2.

This World Wetlands Day marks the 41st anniversary of the signing of the Ramsar Conservation which protects Wetlands of International Importance. This year’s World Wetlands Day theme is ‘Wetlands and Tourism’.

“In the spirit of this year’s World Wetlands Day theme, I’d like to encourage everybody to get out and experience their nearest wetland for themselves. I think many visitors may be surprised at the diversity of plants and animals that they see there, and the real feeling of thriving life that permeates the wetlands,” said Mr Steve Corbett, CEO of the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife.

“Wetlands are amazing places. They are home to many interesting animals you can spot such as waterfowl, waders, pelicans, frogs, and often rare and threatened species. They are havens for animals during times of drought and are also important breeding areas. Wetlands are also crucial for many species of migratory birds, some of which come from as far away as Siberia.”

“At the start of 2011, Australia had 65 Ramsar Sites covering over 7.5 million hectares. That made Australia 4^th in the world in terms of countries with the most Ramsar sites. The United Kingdom was first with 168 Ramsar sites, followed by Mexico with 129, and Spain with 68. This is a fantastic achievement for Australia.”

“Australia’s high number of Ramsar listed sites sends a positive message about our great dedication to protecting sensitive wetlands, for both environmental and human benefit,” said Mr Corbett. “I encourage all Australians to get out there and experience some wetland magic for themselves. You won’t regret it!”

Wetlands State by State:

ACT has one Ramsar site, the 125 hectare Ginini Flats Subalpine Bog Complex. It was designated in 1996 as a Wetland of International Importance
Western Australia has twelve Ramsar listed Wetlands of International Importance, including Eighty-mile Beach, Lakes Argyle and Kununurra, Ord River floodplain, Roebuck Bay and the Peel-Yalgorup system. WA is tied with NSW as having the most Ramsar sites in the country.
New South Wales has twelve Ramsar listed Wetlands of International Importance. The Foundation helped purchase the land for two of these sites and added them to Australia's National Reserve System, the Little Llangothlin Lagoon and Myall Lakes. We are also funding a research project into frogs and the health of the Murray Darling in the Ramsar listed Macquarie Marshes this year.
The Northern Territory has three Ramsar listed Wetlands of International Importance, Cobourg Peninsula which was designated in 1974 and is the oldest Ramsar site in Australia, and two sites within Kakadu. Northern Territory has over 1.5 million hectares protected in Ramsar sites - more than any other state or territory in Australia.
Queensland has five Ramsar listed Wetlands of International Importance, Bowling Green Bay, Currawinya Lakes, Great Sandy Strait, Moreton Bay, and Shoalwater and Corio Bays.
South Australia has five Ramsar listed Wetlands of International Importance, Banrock Station Wetlands Complex, Bool & Hacks Lagoons, Coongie Lakes, Riverland, and the Coorong, Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert.
Tasmania has ten Ramsar listed Wetlands of International Importance, including the Cape Barren Island east coast lagoons, Lavinia Nature Reserve, Logan Lagoon, Lower Ringarooma River, Moulting Lagoon Nature Reserve, and Pittwater-Orielton Lagoon.
Victoria has eleven Ramsar listed Wetlands of International Importance, including Barmah Forest, Corner Inlet, Gippsland Lakes, Western Port, Western District lakes, and Port Phillip Bay & Bellarine Peninsula.

Click here to find out about World Wetlands Day events in your state.

Fast facts about Wetlands

Wetlands are areas of land where water covers the soil – all year or just at certain times of year, including swamps, marshes, billabongs, lakes, lagoons, saltmarshes, mudflats, mangroves, coral reefs, bogs, fens and peatlands. They can be natural or artificial.
Grazing pressure, exotic weeds and feral animals are the most common threats to wetlands.
Wetlands protect our shores from wave action, reduce the impacts of floods, absorb pollutants and improve water quality.
Wetlands provide habitat for animals and plants, including species found nowhere else.
Wetlands are important breeding grounds for freshwater and marine animals and fish, and are important to Australia’s recreation and commercial fishing industries.
Apart from our 65 Ramsar listed Wetlands of International Importance, Australia also has 900 nationally important wetlands listed on the Australian Wetlands Database.
The Ramsar Convention is named after the town of Ramsar in Iran, where the convention was first signed on the 2^nd February 1971.
World Wetlands Day was first celebrated in 1997.