Meeting on the Caspian seal at the Russin Ministry
On October 24, 2025, a meeting on the Caspian seal was held at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation. It was attended by representatives of Russian organisations, legislative and executive authorities: E.V. Markov, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment; A.A. Gadzhiev, Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation Work, Dagestan State University; T.V. Kovaleva, Director, Compass Foundation for Support and Development of Environmental Initiatives; U.G. Ramazanov, Director, Department of State Policy and Regulation for Development of Specially Protected Areas, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment; M.A. Kulikova, Deputy Director of Information and Analytical Center for Support of Nature Reserve Management, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment; G.K. Arapov, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Ecology, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection; and others.
The Caspian seal is currently threatened and at risk of extinction (Compass Foundation Press Service informs). Although the species is already included in the Russian Red Book, and protected in all five Caspian countries, its population continues to decline rapidly – that requires urgent conservation actions.
The meeting participants discussed a joint initiative to change the Caspian seal’s rarity status in the Russian Red Book from Category 3 (Rare) to Category 1 (Endangered). This upgrade will make it possible to: 1) change the species’ category of conservation status from Priority II to Priority I in the Red Book; 2) develop a conservation strategy as a regulatory document; and 3) add the Caspian seal to List of rare and endangered objects of animal world, requiring priority measures for their restoration and reintroduction, the Russian federal project “Preservation of biological diversity and development of ecological tourism”.
‘Protecting the Caspian seal is of international importance. Our current task is to create a roadmap for actions, joining efforts of all participants so that the species will be given a status, which ensures its priority protection,’ noted Evgeny V. Markov, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation.
Source: Compass Foundation for Support and Development of Environmental Initiatives, Russia.
In the top photo: the Meeting on the Caspian seal at the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, October 24, 2025. Credited by Compass Foundation for Support and Development of Environmental Initiatives.