8 -9 August, from 10:00 to 17:00 h, with simultaneous translation in Russian and English languages in LLP “Scientific and Production Centre of Fishery of Fishery” (Almaty) is held IV International Webinar on the theme: “The state of the Caspian seal population (Pusa caspica) – present and future”.

Organiser of the webinar: Institution “Institute of Hydrobiology and Ecology”, with the support of the Committee of Fishery of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan and “Tengizchevroil” LLP, co-organiser “Scientific and Production Centre of Fishery” LLP of the Committee of Fishery of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Moderator of the webinar: Isbekov Kuanysh Baibolatovich, General Director of “Scientific and Production Centre of Fisheries” LLP, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Ass. Professor.

N.T. Zhunusov, Chairman of the Fisheries Committee of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, made a welcoming speech.

Participants of the webinar are representatives of the Caspian countries, representatives of International organisations of Great Britain, USA, University of Leeds, Institute of Water Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Khazar State Nature Reserve, LLP “Kazakhstan Agency of Applied Ecology”, Caspian Institute of Biological Resources of Dagestan Federal Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Republican State Enterprise “Kazgidromet”, Republican State Enterprise “Institute of Microbiology and Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences”, National Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

According to the webinar programme the following reports are planned:

1. Conducting comprehensive studies of the current state of the Caspian seal population in the Caspian Sea water area;
2. Monitoring of the Caspian seal in the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea;
3. Current state of the Caspian seal population off the coast of Azerbaijan in the Caspian Sea in 2021-2023;
4. Monitoring of Caspian seal releases on the coast of Dagestan (December 2022): extent and possible causes;
5. On studies of the age composition of seal releases and possible causes of their deaths;
6. Diagnostic studies of the causes of Caspian seals deaths in autumn 2023;
7. Observation of Caspian seal diseases in Kazakhstan;
8. Brief communication: Information on chipping, tagging and passportisation of Caspian seals in 2023;
9. Quantification of the magnitude of Caspian seal mortality associated with artisanal fisheries and the impact of the commercial chain of Caspian seal products;
10. How will climate change and sea level decline affect the future demography of Caspian seal populations and their habitats?
11. On regression and distribution studies of Caspian seal in the north-eastern part of the Caspian Sea;
12. Multi-year fluctuations in the level of the Caspian Sea;
13. Marine debris and microplastics in the ecosystem of the coast and coastal water area of the Caspian Sea.

Reference: Caspian seal (Pusa caspica) is the only mammal endemic to the Caspian Sea. It is included in the IUCN Red List as an endangered species. It is included in the List of rare and endangered animal species of Kazakhstan (Resolution of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 746 dated 9 November 2020). The species has a similar status in other Caspian countries.