Reasons for Seal Deaths in Mangystau Named

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Agriculture has identified the main causes behind the mass deaths of Caspian seals found along the Mangystau coast between 2022 and 2024, Orda.kz reports, citing TASS.

According to the ministry’s response to a media inquiry, the seals died due to chronic toxicosis, canine distemper, acute pneumonia, and asphyxia linked to natural gas emissions from the seabed.

A decline in the animals’ immunity, increased exposure to infections, and deteriorating climate conditions have severely affected the already endangered Caspian seal population.

A group of experts from scientific institutions and relevant government bodies concluded that the primary causes of death for most Caspian seals found in fall 2022 and spring 2023 were canine distemper and acute pneumonia, triggered by the animals' weakened immunity and reduced overall resistance to infections, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Yermek Kenzhekhanuly said in response to a request from TASS. 

Efforts to conduct lab analysis were complicated in the fall of 2024, as most carcasses had decomposed significantly. However, researchers managed to collect samples of tissue, fur, claws, and teeth from a number of animals for further study.

According to representatives of scientific organizations, the likely causes of death for most of the seals found in 2024 include a highly pathogenic strain of bird flu, a neuroviral infection linked to immunodeficiency, and asphyxia caused by natural gas released from the seabed, which created a gas-contaminated air layer above the water surface that animals could not breathe,the deputy minister said. 

Beyond disease, changing climate conditions are also disrupting reproduction. Shorter winters, declining Caspian Sea levels, maritime traffic, and accidental entanglement in fishing nets are all affecting the seals’ ability to reproduce, which traditionally occurs on sea ice.

The Caspian seal is a regionally endemic species and was added to Kazakhstan’s Red Book in 2020. Its population has declined by 70–90% since the early 20th century.

Original Author: Dinara Bekbolayeva