141 Dead Seals are on the Kazakhstani Coast

On November 7, 2022, employees of Fish Inspection Department for Mangistau Region. Zhaiyk-Caspian Interregional Basin Fisheries Inspectorate, and the Association of Fisheries – BD for Mangistau Region found dead Caspian seals on the Kazakhstani coast of the Caspian Sea, between Bautino and Fort-Shevchenko (the Tyub-Karagan Peninsula). On November 8, a state commission began to work at the place where the animals were beached.

Territorial Divisions on Veterinary Control and Supervision of the Mangistau Region conducted the selection of biological samples from dead seals to identify dangerous infectious diseases (pasteurellosis and canine distemper virous). Currently, biosamples are being examined by the laboratory of National Reference Center for Veterinary Medicine. The Police Department of Tyubkaragansky District registered the mass mortality of red-listed animals (registration number 2247520300001386) in order to investigate causes and circumstances of their death.

Specialists from several Kazakhstani and Russian scientific organizations (Caspian Seal Research and Rehabilitation Center, the Institute of Hydrobiology and Ecology, Kazakhstan Agency of Applied Ecology, Research and Production Center for Microbiology and Virology, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS) joined the commission. The scientists selected biosamples to estimate the age of dead seals, conduct histological, virological, molecular biological, toxicological, hormonal and other analyzes. Soil and sea water samples will be analysed for the presence of toxicants.

From 7 to 10 November 2022, 141 dead seals were found. The coastal monitoring is being continued.

Source: Fishery Committee of the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The photo by Caspian Seal Research and Rehabilitation Center (Aktau, Kazakhstan).