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TCA Interviews

Saving The Caspian Seal: An Interview with Assel Baimukanova

The Caspian seal is the only marine mammal native to the Caspian Sea and the world’s only seal species found exclusively in an inland body of water. Once numbering close to one million, its population has declined dramatically over the past century due to commercial hunting, habitat degradation, pollution, accidental entanglement in fishing gear, and climate change. Today, the species is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Kazakh zoologist Assel Baimukanova has spent the past 13 years studying the Caspian seal alongside her father, renowned scientist Mirgaliy Baimukanov. Their work takes them to remote islands in the northern Caspian, where they spend weeks living in tents, monitoring the animals and collecting data essential to understanding the rapidly changing sea. The Times of Central Asia spoke with Baimukanova about how the Caspian seal coexists with offshore oil production, why scientists perform necropsies on dead animals, and what the future holds for the sea’s only endemic marine mammal. TCA: Assel, you have been studying the Caspian seal for 13 years. Since it is an endemic species found nowhere else in the world, are there many international researchers working on it, or is it studied mainly by Kazakh scientists? Baimukanova: The Caspian seal is indeed an endemic species, meaning it is found only in the Caspian Sea. But it is not studied only by our Institute of Hydrobiology and Ecology. Several research organizations, both in Kazakhstan and abroad, are involved in studying the species. Russian and Iranian scientists also work on the Caspian seal. In addition, we cooperate with researchers who study other seal species in Estonia, Finland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Each of these countries has experience studying different pinniped species, so we regularly exchange expertise and research findings. Our cooperation with international colleagues was particularly active between 2005 and 2017, when we carried out a number of joint research projects. TCA: In your documentary film, you say that although the Caspian Sea is shared by several countries, Kazakhstan bears the greatest responsibility for protecting the Caspian sealbecause the species’ most important habitats are located in Kazakh waters. Baimukanova: Yes, that is true. In spring and autumn, up to 90% of the Caspian seal population may gather in Kazakhstan’s sector of the Caspian Sea. In winter, the animals breed on the ice in the northern Caspian. Depending on ice conditions, breeding colonies may be located in either the Kazakh or Russian sectors. During spring and autumn, however, most seals are found in the shallow and hard-to-reach northeastern part of Kazakhstan’s sector of the sea. That is why the condition of our part of the Caspian is critical to the conservation of the species. TCA: But the ice cover is shrinking every year because of climate change. Should we already be worried, or is there no immediate cause for concern? Baimukanova: There is every reason to be concerned. Warm winters are becoming more common, while cold and severe winters are becoming increasingly rare. Ice still forms, but it...

Maritime Transport

Turkmenistan and Damen Shipyards Discuss Caspian Port Cooperation

Turkmenistan has held talks with Dutch shipbuilder Damen Shipyards Group about increasing their collaboration at the Turkmenbashi port on the Caspian Sea. The talks come as Turkmenistan seeks a larger role in the Middle Corridor, a trade network linking Asia and Europe via Central Asia and the Caucasus. The talks took place this week during a visit by Ambassador Sapar Palvanov to the headquarters of Damen Shipyards Group in the Netherlands, according to the Turkmen embassy in Brussels, Belgium. Palvanov is also Turkmenistan’s ambassador to Luxembourg and the Netherlands, as well as head of Turkmenistan’s mission to NATO in Brussels. “The discussions focused on prospects for expanding cooperation between Turkmenistan and Damen Shipyards, including the possibility of joint vessel construction at the shipbuilding facility of the Turkmenbashi International Seaport,” the embassy said. “Particular attention was given to further cooperation in the field of dredging.” Engineers from Damen, a major global shipbuilder, have already worked with their counterparts in Turkmenistan. The country’s Agency of Maritime and River Transport said in 2024 that the Balkan Shipyard in Turkmenbashi would begin assembly of the Damen CSD 650 dredger under Damen’s supervision. At the time, the agency described the assembly as the first step toward “localizing” the production of Damen dredgers in Turkmenistan. “Damen dredgers are in high demand in Turkmenistan, where they are used for dredging, construction and repair of port facilities, and for sand and gravel extraction,” it said. Dredging is important for trade across the Caspian Sea because of declining water levels that could make it more difficult to access ports and navigation channels. In an analysis published by Carnegie Politika last year, writer Aida Amangeldina cited a report saying the Caspian Sea’s level began falling in 1995 and dropped by about two meters between 2006 and 2024. “The Caspian Sea’s falling level is driven by multiple factors including the regulation of river inflows, desalination, and hydrocarbon contamination,” Amangeldina wrote. “The primary cause, however, is climate change, which has led to reduced precipitation and increased evaporation across the drainage basin, exacerbating water loss.”

Caspian Sea Basin

Kazakhstan Restores Valuable Fish Species in the Caspian Sea Basin

Kazakhstan’s Atyrau Sturgeon Hatchery has released more than one million juvenile sturgeon into the Zhaiyk, or Ural, River, according to the country’s Ministry of Agriculture. The release was carried out under the state order for 2026 as part of efforts to artificially reproduce sturgeon populations and fulfill Kazakhstan’s commitments to preserving the biological resources of the Caspian Sea. The Atyrau Sturgeon Hatchery is a state monopoly authorized to remove sturgeon from their natural habitat for breeding purposes. The enterprise plays a key role in preserving and restoring populations of valuable fish species in the Caspian basin. A distinctive feature of the hatchery is its use of specialized biotechnology to raise juvenile fish in conditions as close to natural as possible. This ensures a high survival rate and better adaptation of the released fish once they return to the wild. Over the past 30 years, the Atyrau hatchery has released around 180 million juvenile sturgeon into the Caspian Sea. The facility is currently undergoing modernization, which will increase its production capacity from 5 million to 7.4 million juvenile fish annually. Kazakhstan’s fisheries sector is showing steady growth. Under the Fisheries Development Program through 2030, the number of fish farms in the country has quadrupled to 700. Annual production of valuable fish species, including carp, sturgeon, and salmon, now totals around 26,000 tons, Serik Sermagambetov, chairman of the Fisheries Committee at the Ministry of Agriculture, said at the Kazynaly Caspian International Fish Forum in Atyrau on June 18. The fish processing sector is also expanding. Kazakhstan currently has 73 fish processing plants, 18 of them located in the Zhaiyk-Caspian basin. Twenty Kazakhstani companies are authorized to export fish products to the European Union. In 2025, Kazakhstan’s fish market grew by 15%, reaching 108,900 tons. The country exports fish products to 21 countries, including European Union member states, China, and Russia. Total exports amounted to 21,100 tons in 2025. Forum participants said future growth in Kazakhstan’s fisheries sector should rely on technology-backed investment and careful management of natural resources. They said this would increase export potential while helping preserve the Caspian Sea ecosystem for future generations.

Archaeology

Kazakhstan’s Ancient Karakabak Reveals New Silk Road Links

Archaeologists studying the ancient settlement of Karakabak in Kazakhstan’s Mangistau Region say new findings show the site was part of ancient trade routes linking East and West. The archaeological site is located in Tupkaragan District on the Caspian Sea coast and dates to the 1st to 6th centuries AD. It was first discovered in 2006 during the compilation of Mangistau’s official register of historical monuments by the Mangistau State Historical and Cultural Reserve. Since 2022, excavations and research at Karakabak have been carried out by the Margulan Institute of Archaeology. Researchers have published 24 academic works based on materials from the site, including three monographs and nine articles indexed in the Scopus database. The site was recently visited by scientists and archaeologists working on projects to develop Mangistau’s tourism potential. During the field visit, participants reviewed excavation results and discussed additional research, as well as possible inclusion of Karakabak in regional tourism routes. According to researchers, Karakabak served for several centuries as a center of craft production and trade. Finds point to metallurgy, jewelry-making, glassmaking, and ceramic production. Archaeologists have uncovered locally produced goods as well as imported materials from across Eurasia. [caption id="attachment_50477" align="aligncenter" width="1087"] @gov.kz[/caption] “Of particular scientific interest is a collection of more than 150 coins dating from the 1st century to the first half of the 6th century AD,” archaeologist Andrey Astafyev said. “Among them are issues from Parthia, Ancient Khorezm, Bukhara Sogd, Sasanian Iran, the Kushano-Sasanian state, the Byzantine Empire and China. These finds confirm Karakabak’s active participation in the international trade and economic networks of its time.” Scholars now regard Karakabak as a major ancient trade and transport hub. Researchers believe one branch of the Silk Road may have passed through Mangistau, connecting Central Asia, the Caspian region, and Eastern Europe. Researchers are also studying a possible Azov-Caspian trade corridor that was previously unknown. Based on the findings, Karakabak may have been one of the centers in this network. Evidence points to contacts with the North Caucasus, the Azov region, the Lower and Middle Volga, the Southern Urals, as well as states in Central Asia and the Middle East. “Karakabak allows us to look at the history of Mangistau and Kazakhstan’s place in ancient international communications from a new perspective,” Astafyev said. “The archaeological evidence confirms that this region served for centuries as an important link in trade routes connecting East and West.” The recent discovery of an ancient jug, preliminarily dated to the 6th century AD, has drawn additional attention to the site. Specialists hope its study will provide new insights into the daily life and craft traditions of the settlement’s inhabitants. Researchers are also exploring a possible connection between Karakabak and the ancient city of Aspabota, which was marked on the maps of Greek geographer Claudius Ptolemy as a settlement on the eastern Caspian coast. [caption id="attachment_50478" align="aligncenter" width="720"] @gov.kz[/caption] Scholars say discoveries in recent years have expanded understanding of Mangistau’s historical importance. They confirm that the region was part of trade...

Caspian Sea

Kazakhstan and Russia to Launch Ferry Service for Trucks Across Caspian Sea

Kazakhstan’s port of Kuryk and Russia’s port of Makhachkala have signed an agreement to organize a vehicle ferry service across the Caspian Sea, according to Kazakhstan’s national railway operator, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy. The collaboration aims to attract cargo flows currently moving from China through Central Asia and the port of Turkmenbashi in Turkmenistan to the Kuryk-Makhachkala route. The port of Kuryk is located on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea, south of the port of Aktau. Its ferry complex is focused on the transshipment of grain, petroleum products, fertilizers, chemicals, and other cargo. The port of Makhachkala is Russia’s only ice-free deepwater port on the Caspian Sea, serving as a link in the transport system between southern Russia and the countries of Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Iran. The Kuryk-Makhachkala route creates additional logistical options for cargo transportation across the Caspian region. The route also adds another Caspian Sea connection to regional transport networks. Unlike the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, or Middle Corridor, which links China and Europe through Central Asia and the South Caucasus while bypassing Russia, the Kuryk-Makhachkala route adds a Russian component to Caspian transit logistics. To ensure year-round navigation and strengthen competitiveness, Kazakhstan is investing in infrastructure on the Caspian Sea coast. Dredging has been carried out at Kuryk Port, while similar work is planned at Aktau Port to increase depth and improve vessel access. Construction is also underway at Kuryk on the Sarzha multifunctional terminal, a project being implemented in cooperation with Abu Dhabi Ports Group from the United Arab Emirates. The terminal is expected to have an annual capacity of five million tons. Under Kazakhstan’s comprehensive maritime infrastructure development plan for 2024-2028, the country intends to establish a major transport and logistics cluster based on the ports of Aktau and Kuryk. The plan includes expanding container handling capacity, developing cargo terminals and international shipping logistics, and reducing administrative barriers. By 2028, total cargo throughput at the ports is expected to increase by 50%, while container handling volumes are projected to triple.

Caspian Sea

Kazakhstan Channels Billions of Cubic Meters Into Caspian Sea

Kazakhstan has channeled 6.16 billion cubic meters of water into the Caspian Sea since the beginning of 2026 as regional governments confront mounting concerns over the long-term decline of the world’s largest inland body of water. The figure was announced by Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, who said more than 35 billion cubic meters of water had been channeled into the Caspian Sea over the past two and a half years. Nearly half of that volume, more than 17 billion cubic meters, came from floodwaters redirected from the Zhaiyk, or Ural, River during the severe spring floods that affected northern and western Kazakhstan in 2024. The Caspian Sea, bordered by Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan, has experienced a sustained decline in water levels in recent decades, raising concerns about both environmental degradation and economic losses across the region. TCA has previously reported that the Caspian Sea fell to its lowest recorded level in July last year, with the northern basin bordering Kazakhstan and Russia shrinking particularly rapidly. This poses both ecological and economic risks, including pressure on marine ecosystems, port infrastructure, fisheries and coastal settlements. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, there is increasing evidence that water levels in the Caspian could continue to fall significantly over the next half-century. Researchers say the decline is driven by a combination of factors, including reduced river inflows, changing precipitation patterns and increasing evaporation linked to rising temperatures and shifting wind regimes. Historically, the Caspian Sea has experienced substantial fluctuations in water levels. During the 20th century alone, levels varied by more than three meters. After reaching a historic low in 1977, the sea recovered by approximately 2.5 meters between 1978 and 1995 before entering another prolonged decline. UNEP researchers note that the downward trend has accelerated since 2006. Scientists stress that coordinated regional research is needed to better understand the interaction between climate change, river discharge, water consumption, evaporation and other factors influencing the Caspian’s future. The challenge has prompted increasing calls for cooperation among the five littoral states. Such collaboration is formally guided by the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea, commonly known as the Tehran Convention, which was signed by all five countries in 2003 and entered into force in 2006. Kazakhstan has also sought to frame water management as a broader strategic issue. The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation says the country’s updated Water Code requires industrial enterprises to prepare five-year plans for switching to recycled water supply, while the pace of introducing water-saving irrigation technologies rose from about 30,000 hectares a year before 2024 to 150,000 hectares annually in 2024 and 2025.