RED BOOK

We have some good news and bad news, friends. Let’s start, as usual, with the good news. Thanks to our common and long-term efforts, the Caspian seal has been finally listed in the Red Book. Or rather, in the Red Books of all the Caspian countries: Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkmenistan. Thanks friends! This is our common victory, such a task can be solved only by joint efforts, low bow to all. Now the bad news. It is not forever. That is, it turned out to be much easier to exclude it from the Red Book than to inscribe it into it. For the last, many years of efforts of thousands of people around the world are needed, and for the first, one single paper that turned out to be on the right table at the right time. For example, some new “study” reporting an unexpected, long-awaited and miraculous miracle: a sudden increase in the abundance of the Caspian seal population. So sudden and so wonderful that urgent measures are needed to reduce the number of Caspian seals, otherwise they will eat all the fish! The main thing is that no one will check these miracles – there are too many people who are interested in transferring our seal from the category of endangered species back to commercial one. A red listed animal – that is continuous expenses: for security measures, for nature protected areas, for special control during the passage of ships, and for conservation activities in fishing as well as in oil and gas production. Unlike a commercial animal, where, on the contrary, there are solid incomes: kill, butcher and sell…

The Caspian seal furs. The Caspian Sea, Dagestan. Photo by V.V. Rozhnov.

That is why we are not removing our red banner, not withdrawing the petition and not stopping the collection of signatures.

Because if the sea throws out the corpses of red listed animals the prosecutor’s office will deal with it, and if the corpses of any others – seagulls will deal with it. No red listed status – nothing to do with it. No one worry about the Caspian seal. Well, almost no one. We will bury seals and forget…Out of sight – out of mind. The sea has many mysteries. Is it possible to unravel them? In the end, we would live without seals. Look, many have already forgotten what the seals looked like. There will be no seals and there is no need. They will not be an eyesore any more. An “indicator species”, whose state, you see, reflects the state of the Caspian… Who needs your alarmist lamentations about the dying sea?! Enough for our time! Gutting, squeezing and moving on to the next one, nothing personal, just business.

The past year clearly showed that the status of the Caspian seal is still critical, the species is still teetering on the brink of extinction. Thank God, hunting for the Caspian seal is prohibited – that is a big deal, but it might be too late. The situation is aggravated by global warming: winters are getting milder, there is less ice, and it is more and more difficult for seals to breed. Having piled all together, we pushed back the catastrophe – it was very important! – but we cannot calm down, they are also piling up from the opposite side.

We appeal to everyone – friends, associates, like-minded people, those who are not indifferent – do not back down! Please do not back down! Continue to monitor the situation, support protective measures, participate in them, if possible, sign the petition, sharing it with others. Let’s be stubborn! Let’s stay on the bright side! Let’s be people!


Sign the petition, please!!!

3 thoughts on “RED BOOK

  • 13/04/2018 at 06:26
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    Nothing to say except please save them.

    Reply
  • 25/10/2022 at 10:14
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    I love Caspian seal and I will do whatever I can to help. I am a computer engineer and have experience in databases.

    Reply

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