Meeting Focussed on the Caspian Seal

On September 7, 2022, the Fisheries Committee of the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan held a meeting focussed on the Caspian seal, which was attended by the leaders of the Research and Production Center for Fisheries LLP, the Kazakhstan Agency of Applied Ecology LLP, and the Institute of Hydrobiology and Ecology. The participants of the event discussed the issues of improving the ecological and environmental legislation of Kazakhstan to create legal conditions for the conservation of the Caspian seal, and proposed to develop a national action plan for this endangered species conservation. The draft document will include chapters on legislative initiatives, measures to preserve key seal habitats in the Kazakhstani part of the Caspian Sea, to tackle marine debris and develop eco-tourism. The national plan will include chapters on priority areas of scientific research and creation of a common database.

According to experts, the implementation of the national action plan will increase the environmental requirements for economic activities in the Caspian Sea basin and, in general, will help to reduce the anthropogenic impact on the Caspian seal and its habitat.

In the photo taken by A.M. Baimukanova: A haul-out of Caspian seals in the Kazakhstani part of the Northern Caspian.