TEHRAN –The Department of Environment (DOE) has started implementing a national action plan that focuses on the conservation of the Caspian seal.

The Caspian seal is the only marine mammal in the Caspian Sea. The species is now listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list with its population declining due to various reasons from one million in the past to 70,000, currently.

Caspian seals are sometimes caught in fishing nets or killed by invasive marine combs called Mnemiopsis.

The main objective of the plan is to conserve the Caspian seal, a rare, valuable, endemic, and endangered species of the Caspian Sea as the priority of marine environmental activities, IRNA quoted Mohammad Talebi-Matin, an official with the Department of Environment, as saying.

The establishment of a center for the Caspian seal conservation in Tarbiat Modarres University branch of Noor County is among the important measures taken in this regard. 

It has fostered positive interactions between the university and the executive units which is expected to bring about positive results in the protection of Caspian seals in the near future, the official noted.

Executive working groups have been formed in cooperation with governors and other beneficiaries under the management of provincial departments of environment in Gilan, Mazandaran, and Golestan provinces.

Also, the rescue centers of the seals in these three provinces are well-equipped, and a specialized training workshop has already been held for the beneficiaries and rangers, Talebi-Matin said.

The training included basic methods of rescue, release, carcasses disposal, and correct sample gathering, 

In addition, examining the seals’ carcasses on the beaches to identify the cause of their loss is being pursued with in cooperation of neighboring countries and related organizations.

Caspian seal is in dire need of protection. The preservation of the Caspian seals cannot be merely accomplished by Iran's efforts; it necessitates the collaboration of neighboring countries, including Russia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan.  

Protecting Caspian Sea creatures

In April 2023, the national plan was drafted and finalized for the protection of Caspian seals as well as sharks.

Caspian seals are included in Appendices I and II of the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).

As per Appendix I of the Convention, poaching and illegal fishing activities are banned to save the animals from extinction, while Iran has not had a share in illegal fishing of the species since the very beginning.

Appendix II covers migratory species that have unfavorable conservation status and that require international agreements for their conservation and management, as well as those that have a conservation status that would significantly benefit from the international cooperation that could be achieved by an international agreement.

In general, there are 10 species of turtles in Iran, five species of which are terrestrial turtles (non-marine turtles), and the other five species are considered sea turtles.

All five species of sea turtles are also endangered due to human activities, oil pollution, and the destruction and development of beaches or spawning grounds. Other factors that threaten sea turtles can be excessive haunting or illegal trade.

MT/MG