From September 5 to the present, the employees of FishRPC: Head of the expeditionary team Karlybayuly S., Head of the expeditionary team Minat A., Junior researcher Otegen S. A., Senior laboratory assistant Zhazykbaev N. M., Laboratory assistant Sakharin. N. K. conduct research work on the lakes of the Alakol system within the framework of the following budget programs:

 Subprogram 100 within the framework of budget program 021 “Ensuring the management, conservation and development of fish resources”;

 “Comprehensive studies of water bodies for the conservation and sustainable use of aquatic biological resources based on an assessment of their potential and modeling of stock dynamics” (IRN: BR23591095);

“Cadastre of wild animals of arid territories of the Balkhash-Alakol basin with an assessment of threats to their conservation and sustainable use.”

Currently, the expedition team is carrying out the following work:

– collection and analysis of ichthyological material – the main biological indicators of fish;

– analysis of the composition of commercial ichthyofauna;

– analysis of commercial catches of nature users in assigned fishing areas.

– echo sounding survey to study autumn migration and census fish numbers in the Alakol lake system.

 Research work on reservoirs is carried out in the presence of the chief specialist of the Alakol fish inspection department Sh. Kulenova.

 Research of the Alakol lake system continues.

Work continues on the scientific and technical program BR21882122 “Sustainable development of natural-economic and socio-economic systems of the West Kazakhstan region in the context of green growth: comprehensive analysis, concept, forecast estimates and scenarios”.

The employees of the West Kazakhstan branch together with the Deputy General Director of the FishRPC, Doctor of Biological Sciences, head of the subproject block “Fish Resources” S.Zh. Asylbekova and employees of the Fish Inspection Department of West Kazakhstan Region organized an autumn expedition to the Kushum River and the Bitik Reservoir.

 During the work, the following monitoring samples were collected: phyto- and zooplankton, zoobenthos, as well as samples of hydrochemical and toxicological studies to assess the anthropogenic load and natural capital of reservoirs.

On September 12, 2024, a round table “International scientific and academic cooperation in solving urgent problems of natural and humanitarian sciences to achieve the UN sustainable development goals” was organized at the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, during which reports were heard from foreign guests, leading professors of the Center for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies of Michigan State University (MSU) – Steven G. Pueppke and Graham Norman. In a narrow format, issues of research projects carried out by various research institutes in Kazakhstan were discussed.

At the round table, a researcher of the aquaculture laboratory Barakov R.T. made a brief report on the activities of the FishRPC, current scientific projects, and the experience of previous research in the field of conservation of fish resources in natural reservoirs and artificial reproduction of rare and endangered fish species in Kazakhstan.

After listening to the reports by the staff of the laboratory of geoinformation analysis of landscape degradation, a presentation of the work premises and technical equipment was organized.

This year, the employees of the FishRPC continue their research on the topic: BR21882122 “Sustainable development of natural, economic and socio-economic systems of the West Kazakhstan region in the context of green growth: comprehensive analysis, concept, forecast estimates and scenarios” (block: fish resources) of the scientific and technical program “Comprehensive research to ensure sustainable development of natural, economic and socio-economic systems of the West Kazakhstan region (Mangistau, Atyrau, West Kazakhstan and Aktobe regions) in the context of green growth”

The director of the Atyrau branch of the FishRPC Kadimov E.L., senior researcher Uteuliyev T.A., and junior researcher Suleimenov S.B. are taking part in the research of the autumn stage of collecting hydrochemical, hydrobiological and ichthyological samples at coastal monitoring stations of the Caspian Sea.

On September 12, 2024, a researcher at the aquaculture laboratory of FishRPC, A. Umirtaeva, together with the deputy head of the Balkhash-Alakol interregional basin inspection of fisheries, R.M. Kumashev, and the head of the department of the Department of Natural Resources and Nature Management Regulation of the Almaty Region, A.B. Magzumov, in accordance with the requirements of the Subsidy Rules for reimbursement of part of the expenses incurred by a fisheries entity during investment, inspected the equipment purchased for the “OrganicProduct” LLP farm in accordance with the facility passport.

At the International Headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), located in Rome (Italy), from September 2 to 6, 2024, Kamila Adyrbekova, Head of the Laboratory of Hydrobionts Genetics, is participating and made an oral report (in English) on the topic: “Artemia biodiversity in Kazakhstan” (genetic research) in the training seminar on the safeguarding salt lake artemia resourses for aquaculture. The training project is organized by FAO and the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA), with the financial support of the Alliance of National and International Science Organizations for the Belt and Road Regions (ANSO) and the Royal Academy for Overseas Sciences (RAOS) in cooperation with the International Artemia Aquaculture Consortium (IAAC).

Specialists from more than 15 countries are participating in the seminar and making expert presentations followed by a discussion where the main issue is the protection/preservation and characterization of the unique gene pool of Artemia from salt lakes and further genetic cataloguing of the species.

On August 29, 2024, in-laboratory quality control (LQC) was conducted at the testing center at FishRPC LLP for compliance with the requirements established in GOST ISO/IEC 17025-2019.  During the laboratory tests took part the head of the TC Aitkalieva A.A., the head of the laboratory of hydroanalytics Dolgopolova S.Yu. and the head of the expeditionary detachment Minat A.

The purposes of intra-laboratory quality control are:

• experimental confirmation of the laboratory’s technical competence;
• ensuring the required accuracy of measurement results;
• ensuring confidence in the measurement results both inside the laboratory and on the part of the Client or regulatory authorities.

In-laboratory monitoring is the main element of confirming the reliability of the analysis results.

From July 15 to the present, employees of the FishRPC (head of the expeditionary team Makambetov S.Zh., research associates Pangereev B.S., Igilik R., Zhdanko L.A., Bekturov D.S. and laboratory assistant Abishev N.B.) have been conducting summer research work on the Ile River and the Kapshagay reservoir according to BP 021 (PP 100) “Determination of fish productivity of fishery reservoirs and/or their sections, development of biological justifications for maximum permissible catch volumes of fish and other aquatic animals, the regime and regulation of fishing in fishery reservoirs of international and national significance and reservoirs of the Balkhash-Alakol basin protected areas. Section: Kapshagay reservoir and the Ile River.” The objective of this work is to assess the current state of the populations of the main commercial fish species to calculate the maximum permissible volumes of extraction of fish resources and other aquatic animals and to develop recommendations for the rational management of fisheries in the Kapchagay Reservoir, the backwater zone, and the upper reaches of the Ile River.

Currently, the expedition team is carrying out the following work:

– collection and analysis of hydrochemical samples;

– collection of hydrobiological samples during the growing season (zooplankton, phytoplankton and zoobenthos) and fish nutrition during the fattening period;

– collection of samples of natural reproduction of juvenile fish with a fishing seine in shallow waters, in the coastal zone of the Kapchagay Reservoir;

– setting up nets for biological analysis of commercial ichthyofauna in fishing areas (biotopes). During the period of research work on the Kapshagay reservoir, the chief specialist of the Kapshagay fishery inspection department of the Balkhash-Alakol interregional basin inspection of fisheries (BAMBIRH) E.O. Karbekov takes part.

Today, 08/28/2024, a meeting is being held at the head office of the FishRPC to review the intermediate results of research and development work on the scientific and technical program for 2024-2026:

“Development and implementation of innovative technologies and new aquaculture facilities that are cost-effective in the natural and climatic conditions of various regions of Kazakhstan” (Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan).

♦  Tasks:

1) Development and implementation of combined technologies for growing valuable fish species (trout).

2) Testing and implementation of effective biotechnical methods for growing promising aquaculture objects in the conditions of fish farms in Kazakhstan with their genetic identification using DNA markers (tench, shrimp).

3) Development and implementation of biotechnical methods for the formation of broodstock of rare and endangered fish species in the conditions of fish farms of Kazakhstan, taking into account their genetic structure (sterlet of the Irtysh population, nelma).

“Comprehensive studies of water bodies for the conservation and sustainable use of aquatic biological resources based on an assessment of their potential and modeling of stock dynamics” (MoA RK).

Tasks:

1) Analysis of biological diversity, molecular genetic identification of alien species and assessment of the resistance of hydrobiocenoses of fishery water bodies to external influences.

2) Ichthyopathological studies of commercial fish species in the main fishery water bodies of Kazakhstan, and the development of comprehensive measures to reduce the risks of mass spread of contagious fish diseases.

3) Ecological and demographic analysis of the mortality of the Caspian seal, study of the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors on the population dynamics, prospects for conservation and stabilization of the species population.

4) Study of biological and consumer characteristics of the export-oriented bioresource – gammarus to develop recommendations for its effective use in the water bodies of Kazakhstan.

5) Modeling the state of stocks in inland commercial water bodies with the development of a software package and domestic methodological recommendations for accounting for fish numbers and calculating the maximum permissible catch.

The meeting is chaired by the General Director, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor Isbekov K.B., in offline and online formats.