“Voice of the Caspian”: Eco-activists propose 10 steps to save the sea

The “Voice of the Caspian” media forum took place in Astana on August 16, where participants discussed the growing environmental challenges facing the main water body of the Mangystau region. Environmental activists presented 10 concrete steps to save the Caspian Sea — a strategic document that will be submitted for consideration by senior government officials.

The event was organized by Vadim Ni and Galina Chernova, co-founders of the international movement Save The Caspian Sea, along with Baglan Aydashov, General Manager of Lada.kz. The forum gathered activists, journalists, media managers, ecologists, and bloggers.

According to the speakers, the Caspian’s shrinking shoreline is only one of many serious issues threatening the sea’s future.

What threatens the Caspian Sea

During the forum, Galina Chernova presented key risks and threats to the Caspian ecosystem. Among them:

industrial emissions and discharges into the sea;
oil spills;
accumulation and wind transfer of sulfur;
pollution caused by construction of sea channels and dredging operations;
activities of oil companies and other subsoil users;
tanker fleets and maritime transport.

The impact of the oil industry

Chernova noted that subsoil users — particularly oil corporations — pose a serious threat to the Caspian’s future.

She listed the following types of operations that negatively affect the marine ecosystem: seismic surveys, geological exploration, the construction of artificial islands and platforms, pipeline installation, support operations involving tankers, ships, and icebreakers, field exploitation, and the creation of navigation channels.

In addition, she cited evidence of chemical spills, disturbance of seabed sediments, blasting and dredging activities, increased vessel traffic and helicopter flights, and excessive noise and vibration from hovercraft operating in bird nesting and sturgeon feeding areas.

Other threats include shell quarry blasting, land reclamation for artificial islands, and invasive species such as the Mnemiopsis comb jelly, which disrupts the native food chain.

The state of Caspian wildlife

According to Chernova, years of industrial activity and weak environmental oversight have taken a toll on marine life. Since the 2000s, the Caspian has witnessed mass deaths of seals, sturgeon, songbirds, swans, pelicans, gulls, and terns, while commercial fish such as sprat have sharply declined.

Icebreakers operating year-round to support oil extraction at the Kashagan field have destroyed critical seal breeding areas. “Seals give birth on ice. Without it, reproduction becomes impossible,” said Chernova.

Citing data from the University of Leeds (UK), she added that today, only older females of the endemic Caspian seal population are capable of carrying offspring — younger females experience pregnancy interruption.

Dredging and channel construction also destroy benthic organisms, which form the base of the marine food chain.

“A blind sea”

“The Caspian Sea is now practically blind,” Chernova said, referring to the absence of environmental monitoring stations along the coast.

She stressed that without independent data collection — especially around the Kashagan islands — the public relies solely on information provided by oil companies.

“There is no state ecological monitoring, no observation posts to measure emissions and discharges, not even one station to record real-time data,” she said. “We need independent, open access to environmental data to respond before the situation becomes critical.”

Lack of transparency in oil agreements

Vadim Ni emphasized another major problem — the lack of public access to production-sharing agreements (PSAs)with oil companies.

According to Ni, the Ministry of Ecology currently has no access to these documents, which outline environmental obligations.

“People don’t know under what conditions oil is extracted at Tengiz, Kashagan, or Karachaganak. These agreements include environmental clauses, yet their contents remain confidential,” he said.

Ni referred to the Aarhus Convention, which requires states to ensure public access to environmental information.

However, Save The Caspian Sea’s formal request to the Ministry of Energy for access to the environmental terms of PSAs was denied — the ministry cited government guarantees of confidentiality to foreign investors.

Court appeals were also unsuccessful.

Chernova supported this view: “Under our national laws, environmental data cannot be considered secret unless it involves national defense. Information related to public health and environmental safety must be open and accessible.”

“10 Steps to Save the Caspian Sea”

At the close of the forum, activists presented a strategic document titled “10 Steps to Save the Caspian Sea”, developed jointly with scientists, ecologists, and civic organizations.

Key directions include:

Creating an open ecological monitoring system with real-time data access.
Ensuring full transparency of environmental and financial reporting by companies operating in the Caspian.
Introducing unified international standards for environmental safety and accountability.
Expanding and protecting specially protected natural areas.
Supporting a “just transition” for Caspian communities affected by environmental decline.
Involving citizens in decision-making and enhancing public oversight.
Promoting corporate responsibility and green investment.
Strengthening international coordination and long-term Caspian strategy.
Advancing scientific research and clean technology.
Expanding environmental education and public awareness.

The importance of this document, activists noted, will be communicated to top-level government officials.

Joint release with Lada.kz: https://www.lada.kz/ecology/ecology/142228-golos-kaspiia-ekoaktivisty-predlozhili-10-shagov-po-spaseniiu-moria.html