Tengrinews.kz – The Ministry of Agriculture commented on the situation around the mass death of seals on the Caspian coast.
Tengrinews.kz – The Ministry of Agriculture commented on the situation around the mass death of seals on the Caspian coast.
According to official data, from October 24 to November 13, 2024, specialists from the Zhaiyk-Caspian Interregional Basin Inspectorate for Fisheries discovered 1 034 seal carcasses washed up on the coast of the Caspian Sea in the Tupkaragan District of Mangystau Region.
During the monitoring, specialists made a partial selection of tissues from dead animals for further research.
"The Fisheries Committee suggests that the cause could be natural phenomena, including emissions of natural gases due to underwater earthquakes. Final conclusions about the causes of the seals' death will be obtained after the completion of laboratory studies, which, according to scientific organizations, will take three to four months. The Inspectorate for Fisheries continues to constantly monitor the territorial waters to identify the factors causing the seals' death," the press service of the Ministry of Agriculture said in a statement.
Earlier, video taken in Mangystau on the Caspian coast appeared on social media. In the footage, you can see that carcasses of dead seals are lying along the coast not far from each other.
As it became known, employees of the Committee for Veterinary Control and Supervision also collected samples of pathological material, which are now being tested for infectious diseases at the National Reference Center for Veterinary Medicine in Astana.
"As of November 13, 2024, all samples tested for pasteurellosis, avian influenza, canine distemper, salmonellosis and listeriosis using the polymerase chain reaction method showed negative results. The found seal carcasses are currently being collected, transported and disposed of at a specially equipped landfill in compliance with all sanitary standards. Monitoring of the Caspian Sea coast continues," the Ministry of Agriculture said in a statement.
According to official data, cases of mass death of seals in the Caspian Sea have been recorded since the early 2000s. In particular, 24 years ago, about 10 thousand dead individuals were identified and chronic toxicosis was named as the cause of their death.
Earlier, the number of dead seals found along the Mangystau coastline has surpassed 700.