n reviewing the problems of the Bañados del Este, the present report therefore also considers how Uruguay might address this requirement of the Convention.
Uruguay and the Ramsar Convention
In adhering to the Ramsar Convention on 22 May 1984, Uruguay listed as its first Ramsar site the " Bañados del Este and Franja Costera". This area covers a total of 325,000 hectares in the Departments of Rocha, Treinta y Tres, and Cerro Largo (Fig. 1).
The Bañados del Este
The area designated as the Ramsar site includes two lakes (Castillos and Negra) and part of an international lake (Merin); part of the rivers Yaguarón, Tacuarií, Olimar, Cebollatí and San Luis; various streams; low plains that are permanently, periodically or occasionally flooded and which adjoin the major water masses; and the section of coast that extends from the Uruguay/Brazil border to Cabo Polonio. It also extends to the Atlantic coastal islands close to Coronilla and Cabo Polonio (Vas-Ferreira, 1987).
Within this area, a wide range of wetland habitats occur which support a great diversity of fauna and flora. The wetlands are particularly important for waterbirds, of which at least 120 species live for part or all of the year in the Ramsar site (Vaz-Ferreira, 1987). The Bañados also support an important mammal fauna, including Capybara Hidrochoerus hidrochaeris, Coypu Myocastor coypus and a residual population of "venado de campo" Ozotocerus bezoarcticus. More than 30 species of amphibians and 5 reptiles are found in the site. Among the latter is the "yacaré" Caiman latirostris. 80 species of fish occur, of which some 30 are important in commercial fishing or in sport fishing.
In the Uruguayan national report to the Third Conference of Contracting Parties (Vaz-Ferreira, 1987), it was noted that listing of the zone has not brought about any effective additional protection of the Bañados. These are still controlled by national shooting laws and decrees rather than by any specific legislation directed at the Bañados. This is in part a consequence of the fact that although the major lagoons within the site are State property, more than 85% of the wetland habitats (excluding these lagoons) is privately owned. Consequently, these sites can be changed without present legislation being able to prevent it. In addition, public lands are not necessarily adequately protected.
5. Current Status of the Bañados
As emphasised in the Uruguayan report to the Third Conference of Contracting Parties (Vaz-Ferreira, 1987), the ecological character of the Bañados del Este was changed prior to listing of the site under the Convention. As early as the mid-19th century, plans to drain part of the Bañados were developed. In 1885, it was proposed to drain 20,000 hectares of the area via the Andreoni Canal. Although this was dropped from service in 1930, a second canal (Canal Number One) was subsequently built between the Bañado de India Muerta and the San Luis river. In 1978, Canal Number One was continued, and a third canal (Canal Number Two) was built to link Canal Number One with the Andreoni Canal. Further, the India Muerta dam was built, covering 3,000 hectares in its reservoir.
Today, the principal government investment in the Bañados is coordinated through the Comisión Mixta para el Desarrollo de la Cuenca de la Laguna Merin which was established in the 1960s by the governments of Uruguay and Brazil to coordinate development investment in the basin of the Laguna Merin. Under the auspices of the Joint Commission, funding was obtained from the InterAmerican Development Bank in 1986 (US$ 27.3 M) for the electrification of the existing water pumping system and for the improvement of 860 kilometres of roads. This investment was designed to improve irrigation of 80,000 hectares of the region of the Laguna Merin. Following this investment, there are today proposals for further investment in water management in the basin. These include the construction of a retaining dyke for 70 km along the right bank of the Rio Cebollati; canalisation of the Estero de Pelotas; construction of a 40 km su