Seoul’s Bamseom Island in the Han River, known as a rare urban habitat for migratory birds, is expected to be included on a protection list under the international treaty of the Ramsar Convention, in recognition of its ecological and environmental value, the Environment Ministry said Tuesday.

The ministry said it will register the island with the secretariat of the Ramsar Convention within this month. The secretariat is expected to make a decision as early as April after reviewing the island’s biodiversity and preservation values.

Bamseom, a pair of urban uninhabited islets covering 241,000 square meters, is located between the river‘s largest island of Yeouido and the north shore of Mapo. The naturally-formed alluvial island was split in two by the government to collect sand for a construction project. After being split, the two parts have continued to collect sediment to grow to their current size, potentially providing an aid for predicting the natural succession of river wetlands, experts noted.

Some 580 endangered species and natural monuments including mandarin duck, kestrel, brown hawk-owl, hawk, and bean goose inhabit Bamseom, according to the research by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

Signed in 1971, the Ramsar Convention is an inter-governmental treaty that urges member countries to maintain the ecological value of their wetlands and promote their sustainable use.

South Korea joined the convention in 1997 and has a total of 16 wetlands across the country on the preservation list, the ministry noted.

“Bamseom has served as a bridge between the mouth of the Han River and Seoul’s ecological system,” a ministry official said. “If designated, the island will help protect the biodiversity of the capital city.” (Yonhap News)