Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many Ramsar sites have had their ecological character threatened in each of the last 14 years.

In line with Article 3.2 of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (the Ramsar Convention), Contracting Parties are committed to monitor their Ramsar Sites and inform the Secretariat whenever the ecological character of a site has changed, is changing, or is likely to change as a result of human interference.

Over the last 14 years, 9 cases have been opened for UK Ramsar Sites under Article 3.2. Following actions to manage these changes or risks of change, the majority have been closed. Three cases remain open with regards to the following sites:

• Ouse Washes,
• Dee Estuary and
• Ballynahone Bog.

Work is ongoing to address and close these cases.