Summary
Sturgeons are endangered due to overfishing and habitat damage, leading to a shortage of natural caviar in Aktau, Kazakhstan. The Caspian Sea faces significant decline, potentially losing up to 34% of its surface by the century's end, affecting its ecosystems. Factors such as Russia's water management and pollution from oil companies contribute to the sea's problems.
Key Facts
- Adilbek Kozybakov, an ecologist, recalls how his family regularly consumed sturgeon caviar in Aktau, Kazakhstan.
- The Caspian Sea's surface area may decrease by up to 34% by the end of the century, according to a study in Nature magazine.
- The sea's decline threatens local ecosystems, including habitats for Caspian seals and sturgeons.
- The Caspian Sea is the world's largest enclosed body of water and a crucial route for oil and gas.
- Russia's water management practices have reduced water flow into the Caspian Sea.
- Oil pollution and poaching have severely impacted sturgeon populations.
- Kazakhstan's major oil fields are managed by foreign companies.
- A Kazakh lawyer sued the government over secret contracts with oil firms, concerned about environmental impacts.
