Next Sunday, February 2, 2025, marks the 28th celebration of World Wetlands Day. The purpose of the day is to raise awareness about wetlands. Each year, the day features a different theme, and this year’s theme is “Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future.” The theme emphasizes the urgent need for bold actions to protect natural areas so that future generations can continue to enjoy and benefit from the vital resources wetlands provide.
World Wetlands Day has been celebrated since 1997 to honor the Convention on Wetlands, also known as the Ramsar Convention, which was signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971. The Ramsar Convention is the world’s first global environmental treaty dedicated to a specific ecosystem – wetlands. Today, 172 countries are parties to the convention, and Finland has 49 Ramsar sites.
The Martimojärvi mire area was included in the Project Mar conservation program as early as 1965, and Finland was among the first countries to ratify the Ramsar Convention in 1974. In 1981, the Martimoaapa Mire Protection Area was established, which was later expanded to include the Penikka Hill regions. That same year, legal protection was granted to 70 state-owned wetland areas.
The Martimoaapa Mire Protection Area became part of the Natura 2000 network in 2004, thus joining the Ramsar Convention alongside areas such as Sammuttijänkä in Inari, and the coastal meadows and bays of Liminka Bay and Hailuoto. The selection of a Ramsar site is based on criteria outlined in the Ramsar Convention, such as the rarity and uniqueness of the area, as well as the presence of endangered species of animals and plants.
The Martimoaapa Mire Protection Area is a diverse wetland environment that includes extensive aapa mires and other mire types. Its proximity to the coast of the Bothnian Bay enhances its importance as a staging area for migratory waterfowl and waders, as well as a breeding ground for raptors and waterbirds. The area also plays a crucial role in protecting endangered animal and plant species.
More information: worldwetlandsday.org, www.ramsar.org.
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