Nearly 500 endangered Caspian seals have been found dead along the coast of the Caspian Sea in Russia, leading officials in the Dagestan republic to initiate a multi-agency investigation, as reported by local authorities on Wednesday.
The ministry responsible for natural resources in Dagestan stated that teams began inspecting approximately 300 kilometers (86 miles) of coastline after the initial reports of seal fatalities emerged.
“At this point, 484 seal corpses have been discovered washed up on the shore,” the ministry revealed, noting that their search efforts have broadened to include several coastal districts. Authorities have alerted the necessary agencies to retrieve and properly dispose of the remains while also investigating the cause of the deaths.
The ministry mentioned that seal mortality rates typically surge during migration seasons, referencing recent studies that indicate asphyxiation from natural gas emissions from the seabed as a significant contributor.
Conversely, environmental organizations contend that human-related factors are being underestimated by authorities. Independent media outlets have raised concerns that industrial trawling nets might be suffocating the seals without leaving evident wounds, a theory proposed during earlier die-off incidents.
In recent years, Dagestan has experienced several mass seal die-offs, including an incident in 2022 where over 2,500 carcasses were discovered.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies the Caspian seal as an endangered species, with its population declining by over 90% since the early 20th century and continuing to decrease by an estimated 3-4% each year.
This species has been increasingly threatened by excessive hunting and industrial pollution.
Additionally, oil and gas extraction activities in the Caspian Sea, combined with decreasing water levels attributed to climate change, pose severe risks to various species within the region. The UN Environmental Program has highlighted that the sea is “burdened by substantial pollution.”
The Caspian Sea, recognized as the largest enclosed body of water on Earth, is bordered by Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Turkmenistan.
