The reserve was proposed as a National Nature Reserve under the Development and Planning Act of 1974. It was part of the Development Plan of 1983. While the mangroves are under the Tree Preservation Order, the reserve in general is decreed as a National Reserve under the Bermuda National Parks Act of 1986. The Hungry Bay Mangrove Swamp Reserve is one of the seven Ramsar Sites in Bermuda. It was approved as a Ramsar site of international importance on 10 May 1999, meeting the criteria (1, 2, 3, 4 and 8) for its unique characteristics. Its significance is due to being the largest northerly mangrove swamp in the Atlantic Ocean, the many migratory bird species which visit during winter, and the many native crustacean species, including the endangered terrestrial hermit crab ("Coenobita clypeatus") and giant land crab ("Cardisoma guanhumi").