8 March 2012: The Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention) has announced that the Government of Estonia has designated its 17th Wetland of International Importance. Haapsalu-Noarootsi, a wetland complex situated along the Baltic Sea, is located on the northwestern coast of the country.

According to the Ramsar Secretariat, the site is a wintering, staging, moulting and breeding site for 225 different bird species, including a globally threatened species, and is located on an important migratory route for water birds. It is also one of the biggest spring spawning grounds in western Estonia for freshwater fish. The site supports various rare and nationally protected plant species. Threats to the site include: the overgrowing of coastal grasslands; impacts of wastewater from the city of Haapsalu; and an increase in invasive alien species. Two conservation projects aimed at restoring habitats and enhancing ecotourism have recently been carried out in the site. Estonia’s designation contributes to one of the goals contained in the Ramsar Convention’s Strategic Plan for 2009-2015, which is to reach a protected area of 250 million hectares by 2015. [Ramsar Press Release]