Negros Occidental Coastal Wetlands Conservation Area (NOCWCA) is the seventh Ramsar site of the Philippines. It was designated as a Wetland of International Importance on October 20, 2016.
NOCWCA is a contiguous wetlands area with a coastline of 109.52 kilometers covering 52 coastal barangays within three (3) cities and seven (7) municipalities of Negros Occidental.
It serves as a habitat of globally threatened species, extensive mangroves and mudflats that serve as feeding grounds of thousands of migratory birds. The high biodiversity in the area also supports the livelihood of coastal communities and serves as a major food source for Negros Occidental. Eighty species of birds were recorded in NOCWCA including the globally endangered Great knot (Calidris tenuirostris), Far Eastern curlew (Numenius madagascariensis) and Nordmannβs greenshank (Tringa guttifer). Other threatened species that are present in the area include the Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris), and three species of marine turtles, the critically endangered Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), endangered Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and Olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea).