5. Protection stemming from an international commitment

5.1 Ramsar Convention

The Ramsar Convention was signed on February 2, 1971, taking its name from the small Iranian town on the Caspian Sea where the international conference on the protection of wetlands of international importance was held.

• France definitively ratified the convention and its protocol in 1986. Article 2 of the Ramsar Convention stipulates that "each contracting party shall designate suitable wetlands in its territory for inclusion in the list of wetlands of international importance... the boundaries of each wetland shall be precisely described and mapped...". The convention also stipulates that "wetlands of international importance for waterfowl at all seasons should be included in the first instance".