RIYADH: The Farasan Islands Marine Sanctuary was added to the Ramsar agreement list of wetlands of worldwide importance, making it the first Saudi marine reserve to be formally recognized under the agreement, the Saudi Press Agency stated on Monday.
The Ramsar Convention is an agreement adopted early in the 1970s to provide a framework for the protection and effective use of wetlands and their resources. NCW CEO Mohammed Qurban responded on the announcement, stressing the progress Saudi Arabia is making in ecological sustainability, particularly initiatives to safeguard wetlands and migratory species. He applauded the Kingdom’s dedication to using global conservation practices, strengthening overall international collaboration for sustainable development.
The NCW initiated a countrywide program last October, in conjunction with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, to preserve Saudi Arabia’s marine ecosystems from non-native and invasive species using field surveys, DNA-barcoding and maritime-traffic analysis. The Farasan Islands are an archipelago in the Red Sea characterized by unique marine and coastal environments.
The islands are home to many endangered species and are an important stopover for migratory waterbirds that transit Saudi Arabia on their way between continents, including the dugong, sooty falcon, and pink-backed pelican.
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