Iran calls for Caspian littoral states to save Caspian seals

TEHRAN, Oct. 28 (MNA) – The Caspian seal is among the rare species in the Caspian Sea which is facing the threat of extinction due to excessive hunting. Amir Sayadi Shirazi, a veterinary expert, while pointing to global warming as one environmental cause of endangering the Caspian seal, said, “another threat to the Caspian seal is human’s hunting. The seals’ safe place to give birth has been destroyed in Russia and Turkmenistan. Seal meat is used in fox breeding farms in Russia and some Turkmen people used to believe that the fat under the seal’s skin was good for treating arthritis, which of course has no ground in fact.” He criticized the five Caspian littoral states for exploiting the Caspian environment and said, “we have formed a rescue group one objective of which is to enhance the relations among countries in order to save the Caspian seal.” “In 2008, a British organization estimated the number of seals in the Caspian Sea at 100,000,” he said, “but considering the drop in their numbers over the years, it is predicted that the number now stands at less than 70 to 80 thousand.” “In Kazakhstan and Russia seal hunting licenses are issued, but we must prohibit hunting to preserve this endangered species,” said Vahid Kheirabadi, the head of Wildlife Administration for the Department of Environment in Golestan. “The Caspian Sea is shared among five countries and one country cannot deal with all the pollution issues on its own,” Kheirabadi asserted, “all five countries must cooperate to resolve these environmental issues.”