To save the Caspian seal
Clean Seas Foundation has developed an environmental education project. A corresponding agreement has been signed by Clean Seas Foundation and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Republic of Dagestan. The main goal of the agreement: sustainable development and careful use of natural resources, development and popularization of resource and energy saving technologies, biodiversity conservation and environmental education.
The Caspian seal will be under close scrutiny. It is the only marine mammal in the Caspian and the smallest seal on Earth. The Caspian seal is listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation. According to preliminary data, over the past 100 years, its number has decreased from 1 million individuals up to 100 thousand.
In 2020 and 2021, mass mortality of Caspian seals was observed in Dagestan. In total, about 500 dead individuals were found on the coast. As before, there are several versions for the death of animals. None has been confirmed.
According to experts, Caspian seals most often die, entangled in fishing nets. And the main enemy of seals is a poacher. Poachers kill adult and young seals for their fur and oil. Scientists have calculated: in 10-15 years, the abundance of the Caspian seal population will reach a critical level.
Clean Seas Foundation has been developing programmes for conservation of the Caspian seal since 2017. The Caspian seal is an indicator of the Caspian Sea ecosystem status. In order to preserve this animal on Earth, it is necessary to conduct scientific research and monitor the state of seal rookeries. In the near future, the start of an ecological and educational project for the preservation of the Caspian seal will be announced.
Source: Clean Seas Foundation.