TEHRAN – The Department of Environment (DOE) has announced readiness to hold the Seventh Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea, known as COP 7.

Iran is willing to maintain and promote a collaborative relationship with the Tehran Convention, develop structures, as well as establish a permanent secretariat, IRNA quoted DOE head Shina Ansari as saying.

She made the remarks in a meeting with Mahir Aliyev, the Secretariat of the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea (Tehran Convention), in Tehran on Monday.

The two officials also discussed arrangements and preparations for holding COP 7, the perspectives of the Caspian Sea littoral states on cooperation for advancing the goals of the Tehran Convention, as well as reducing pollution and harmful substances in the Caspian Sea.

COP 6 was held in Baku, the Republic of Azerbaijan, in October 2022.

COP 7 to focus on Caspian seal protection

Known for its unique biodiversity, the Caspian Sea is home to different kinds of valuable species and plays a vital role in the economy, food security, and ecological sustainability of the region.

Over recent decades, marine life, particularly sturgeon and Caspian seals’ populations in the sea, have sharply declined due to threatening factors such as illegal fishing, overfishing, oil, industrial, and agricultural pollution, climate change, reduced water flow, as well as habitat destruction.

The Caspian seal is the only marine mammal in the Caspian Sea. The species is now listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, with its population declining due to various reasons, from one million in the past to 70,000, currently.

In recent years, the increase in the discovery of seals’ carcasses on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea has raised concerns among environmentalists that the Caspian seal is at greater risk of extinction than ever before. In just two months, 18 carcasses were discovered on Mazandaran coasts, IRNA reported.

Addressing the coordination meeting for the protection of the Caspian seal species,  Ansari said that, given the recent losses of the seals and their critical status, conservation efforts need to be prioritized. Hence, COP 7, which will be held in Tehran, will focus on the preservation of the Caspian seal.

During the 11th Nevsky International Ecological Congress, held from May 22 to 23 in Saint Petersburg, Russia, the five Caspian Sea states (Iran, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Kazakhstan) discussed environmental challenges threatening, such as shrinking water level, pollution, habitat destruction, and decline in population of marine animals,” IRNA quoted Ansari as saying.

Underscoring the need for regional cooperation to protect the biodiversity of the Caspian ecosystem, Ansari said based on regional diplomacy, it is essential to focus specifically on the Caspian Sea environment to save endangered species, particularly the Caspian seals, through enhanced joint measures, the official noted.

The official went on to highlight the significance of promoting inter-sectoral cooperation among responsible bodies such as fisheries and veterinary organizations, saying that fostering joint efforts will reduce conflicts over the conservation of these species.

MT/MG