Caspian Sea: State of the Environment 2019

take the form of lost cages, tiers, pillars and oth- er floating and stationary objects. Microplastics may also be found in the sea due to the deteriora- tion of plastic pipes used in marine aquaculture. In recent years, the international scientific com- munity has paid greater attention to the impact of plastics on the marine environment, in partic- ular the possible socioeconomic costs associated with disrupting ecosystem services and the po- tential risks to human health resulting from the introduction of microplastics into the fish food chain. These are important factors to consider when managing current and future aquaculture or other fishery enterprises in or near the Caspi- an Sea (Christensen 2017). At present, there is no reliable information on the presence or amount of litter discharged into the coastal or marine environment of the Caspi- an Sea. This is an issue which requires particular attention, especially as regional measures may be required to address it. 4.8. Tourism and recreation The Caspian Sea accounts for a small share of global tourism. Most tourists in these countries are domestic or regional tourists. The Caspian littoral states are not considered to be major global tourism destinations for a number of rea- sons (see Tourism section). However, seasonal tourist flows to the Caspian Sea coastline are an important factor in the discussion of environ- mental impact. The growth of amateur fishing as a recreational activity is occurring in an uncontrolled fashion, with very little in the way of restrictions. No special studies have been carried out to deter- mine the impact of amateur fishing on aquat- ic biological resources, and no work has been done to develop optimal regulations for this type of fishing, resulting in additional pressure on the region’s aquatic biological resources. The tourism industry can have both positive and negative social and environmental impacts, de- pending on a number of factors, such as how it is managed, how it develops and whether planning takes account of local conditions. To ensure that

tourism is sustainable, it is vital that it develops and grows within the limits of the ecosystems on which it depends. The loss or degradation of ara- ble land, the generation of household waste and the discharge of wastewater are just some of the possi- ble adverse effects. Tourism is a source of marine litter in the Caspian Sea. In Iran, seasonal tourists, who mostly come from Tehran to spend their va- cation on the Caspian shore, are the source of large amounts of waste and marine litter (CEP 2009). Where the quality and sustainability of the natural environment are crucial to the survival of the in- dustry, tourism can, in some cases, contribute to conservation efforts. Beaches that are polluted with plastic can discourage tourists from visiting, and since tourism is an important source of income for local residents, they have an incentive to keep beaches clean so that they continue to attract tour- ists. This is the case, for example, in the Caspian coastal zone of Iran (CEP 2009). From a social perspective, a sharp increase in the population, even if only in the short term, can lead to a shortage of resources and a decrease in the pur- chasing power of local residents. However, tour- ism can help to create employment and business opportunities, upgrade infrastructure and mobi- lize investment to achieve environmental or social goals (Stanciu et al. 2016). To ensure that tourism is sustainable, the potential environmental and so- cial impacts must be taken into account. An alter- native to high-performance tourism is sustainable ecotourism, which can provide both socially and environmentally sustainable livelihoods.

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