Ontario's Natural Heritage Areas - Ministry of Natural Resources

• Establish protected wetland reserves.
• Promote public education and awareness of
wetland values and conservation (North American
Wetlands Conservation Council, 1995:3).
The Degree of Protection for Ramsar
Convention Sites and the Corresponding IUCN
Protected Area Management Strategy: A
Preliminary Assessment
Ramsar Convention Sites are international
designations that may be protected under the
auspices of other types of protected areas. ‘Fully
protected’ sites managed through national and
provincial mechanisms fall into more than one IUCN
protected area category, including Categories Ib,
II, and IV (Table 4-2). Some Ramsar Convention
Sites do not qualify under the IUCN protected
areas classification because they are only ‘partially
protected’ under different mechanisms.
Key Contact(s)
The Ramsar Convention Secretariat
Rue Mauverney 28
CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland
Telephone: +41 22 999 0170
Fax: +41 22 999 0169
Website: www.ramsar.org
Canadian Wildlife Service,
Environment Canada
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H3
Telephone: 819-997-2800 or 1-800-668-6767
Fax: 819-994-1412
Website: www.ec.gc.ca/international/multilat/wet_e.
htm.
Information: enviroinfo@ec.gc.ca
Ontario’s Natural Heritage Areas 100
Table 4-2. Ramsar Convention Sites and IUCN
protected area categories.
Ramsar Convention Site IUCN Category
Polar Bear Provincial Park 2,408,700 ha
in Category Ib.
Southern James Bay 25,290 ha are
considered ‘partially
protected’ because only
the animals are protected
under the auspices of
the Migratory Birds
Convention Act. There is
no legal mechanism to
protect all habitats.
Minesing Swamp 3,500 ha of publicly
owned land are in
Category IV, and the
remaining hectares are in
private or municipal
ownership.
Matchedash Bay 1,840 ha in
Provincial Wildlife Area Category IV.
Long Point 10,790 ha in
National Wildlife Area Category II that are
designated in public
ownership, and
2,940 ha in private
ownership that are
considered ‘partially
protected’.
Point Pelee National Park 1,564 ha in
Category II.
Mer Bleue 3,447 ha in Category II
Conservation Area managed by the National
Capital Commission.
St. Clair National 244 ha in
Wildlife Area Category IV.