13 November 2024 | 20:57

Over 700 seals found dead on Mangystau coastline

instagram.com/yeleussinzh , lada.kz

Tengrinews.kz – The number of dead seals found along the Mangystau coastline has surpassed 700, reports Lada.kz. The count continues to rise, according to local authorities.

Earlier reports from regional outlets highlighted the growing number of fatalities among the seals. According to the Zhaiyk-Caspian Interregional Basin Fisheries Inspectorate, 734 carcasses have been documented so far.

On November 11, fisheries inspectors reported that additional carcasses had washed ashore following several days of severe weather.

“In the Tupkaragan District, from Cape Skalisty to Cape Sygindy, 137 seals were found on Saturday. Beyond Akshukur, from Cape Skalisty to Aktau, 64 carcasses were recorded. Since yesterday evening and this morning, our teams have been working toward the Karakiyan area, near Cape Peschanaya and Cape Zhylandy. The exact figures are still pending. As of now, 734 seals have been officially recorded,” said fisheries inspector Andrey Rutskiy.

According to official reports, isolated cases have also been observed in Aktau. Authorities urge local residents who discover dead seals to report them to the police.

In October, residents near the city beach of Fort-Shevchenko found the bodies of three adult seals along the Caspian shoreline.

Mangtystau blogger Azamat Sarsenbayev shared a video on Instagram showing the seal carcasses, commenting that such incidents occur in the region every autumn.

Assel Baimukanova, an environmental education specialist at Kazakhstan’s Institute of Hydrobiology and Ecology, previously shared her insights on the possible causes of mass seal deaths in the Caspian. According to Baimukanova, the deaths appeared sudden and unnatural.

Between September 27 and October 30 this year, 305 dead seals were found on the Tupkaragan Peninsula. Among them, 10 carcasses displayed signs of mechanical trauma, such as cuts, decapitations, and entanglements in nets and ropes.

Researchers from the Institute of Hydrobiology and Ecology collected samples for analysis to determine the cause of death. However, Baimukanova noted that advanced decomposition of many carcasses limits the scope of these investigations.

Potential causes for the deaths include natural events, such as earthquakes and gas emissions, as well as human-induced factors like marine pollution. Disease outbreaks are also not ruled out.

In early November 2022, over 100 dead seals were discovered along the Caspian coast in Mangystau. At the time, specialists from the Caspian Seal Research and Rehabilitation Center were dispatched to the site.

In 2022, during a meeting with Mangystau residents, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addressed the region's significant environmental challenges. He underscored the importance of preserving the Caspian’s ecological balance and biodiversity.

“Mass seal and fish deaths are increasingly being reported. These occurrences are linked to human activities and changing environmental conditions. Seals are listed in Kazakhstan’s Red Book. Preserving and restoring this species’ population is a priority under my direct supervision,” President Tokayev stated.

Kazakhstan Mangistau Mangistau Oblast seal dead body death ecology

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