Humber Estuary designations

The Humber Estuary is designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), Special Protection Area (SPA), a Ramsar Site and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).  The SPA and SAC together forms the Humber Estuary European Marine Site, also known as a Natura 2000 site.  

The key legislation for the Humber Estuary European Marine Site is the European Union's Habitats Directive and Birds Directive, which set out a number of actions for nature conservation.  These directives are implemented in the United Kingdom under The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulation 2010.  

The Humber Estuary is designated as a "Wetland of International Importance" under the Ramsar Convention, following an International Convention in Iran in 1971. In England Ramsar sites are treated as a European Sites.