Hundreds of endangered seals found dead on Caspian Sea coast

Nearly 500 Caspian seals have been found dead off the coast of Russia in the Dagestan region. Local authorities have launched an investigation and are examining the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the endangered species, the Moscow Times reports.

According to officials, such cases occur regularly during the migration season, citing a natural gas leak from the seabed as a possible cause.

However, conservationists warn that human activity - particularly industrial fishing nets - may have a greater contribution to these deaths than authorities are willing to admit.

The Caspian seal is facing a dramatic population decline - more than 90 percent of the population has disappeared since the early 20th century. Their decline is exacerbated by pollution, climate change and intensive resource extraction in the region.

The UN warns that the Caspian Sea is facing a huge ecological burden. Incidents of mass seal deaths are not new - more than 2,500 individuals were found dead in 2022.

(swag)