On September 22, 2012, the Ramsar Secretariat announced the designation of 20,682 hectares of land as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance, the highest designation for the protection of wetlands. The Fraser River Delta Ramsar Site includes Burns Bog, the Wildlife Management Areas of Sturgeon Bank, South Arm marshes, Boundary Bay, Serpentine and the former Alaksen Ramsar Site on Westham Island.
The Fraser River Delta Ramsar Site is a critical migratory stopover on the Pacific Flyway for migratory birds such as the Western Sandpiper, and provides feeding and roosting sites for approximately 250,000 migratory and wintering waterfowl and one million shorebirds. Its productive estuarine habitats and nutrient-rich waters provide the foundation for diverse and seasonally dense fish and wildlife populations and is one of the most critical habitats for shorebirds in British Columbia.