12 dead Caspian seals found in Kazakhstan’s Mangistau region
The carcasses of 12 dead seals have been discovered along the Caspian Sea coast near the village of Bautino in Kazakhstan's Mangistau region, Qazinform News Agency reports.
An Aktau resident discovered the dead seals while walking along the coast on October 11 and sent photographs to the relevant authorities. According to him, the carcasses were scattered along a 2.5–3-kilometer stretch of shoreline.
The Mangistau regional fisheries department said specialists had been sent to the site and that an official statement would follow if the reports were confirmed.
The Caspian seal is an endangered species native to the Caspian Sea, with dead seals increasingly found along the Mangistau coast in recent years, particularly in spring and autumn.
Separately, a dead sturgeon was also found along the Caspian Sea coast near the 15th microdistrict of Aktau.
According to the authorities, an official inspection report was prepared on October 10, 2026, by representatives of a state wildlife protection agency and a police officer.
"One dead sturgeon was found along the shoreline, with no visible signs of fishing nets on its body. However, the fish was too badly decomposed to determine the cause of death," the department said in a statement.
The fish carcass was handed over to Aktau Service Qurylys LLP for disposal.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had called for closer regional cooperation to protect the Caspian Sea’s biodiversity during his address at the Caspian Environmental Summit.