Caspian Sea: State of the Environment 2019

of evolutionary processes, integrated, sufficiently stable ecosystems have formed in the basin. The separate links of these ecosystems can only exist through close interaction. Anthropogenic distor- tion of such systems or the removal of particular elements from them inevitably leads to negative changes, simplifications and even the collapse of a unique natural structure, reducing its economic value and entailing the loss of other qualities that are important to people living in coastal areas. Sea level changes profoundly transform the coastal zone, leading to changes in the conditions for numerous species of nesting birds, the fatten- ing of many fish species, salinity, groundwater levels in adjacent areas, etc. Sea level fluctuations radically change the environmental conditions for the development of biocenoses in river es- tuaries and the production properties of the sea itself, especially in its shallow northern part. Several possible environmental impacts on the fisheries sector should be considered. The es- tablishment of aquaculture farms could destroy natural ecosystems, cause soil salinization or acidification, pollute water sources that were previously suitable for human consumption, re- sult in eutrophication and nitrification of sewage receiving ecosystems, introduce exotic species that may biologically contaminate water bod- ies, contaminate soil and water with medicines, transform landscape and hydrological sites with unknown consequences for ecosystems, and lim- it the movement of the eggs, larvae, juveniles and adults of various organisms. There are also concerns about environmental contamination by toxins and heavy metals, as well as genetic contamination and contamina- tion by unwanted species of phytoplankton and zooplankton (Martinez-Porchas and Marti- nez-Cordova 2012). Consequently, ensuring that aquaculture is beneficial to the local population and to the environment will be a challenge that requires consideration of all possible impacts. In Azerbaijan, the number of fishing licences is- sued in the period from 2011 to 2016 increased compared to the period from 2005 to 2010, de- spite the Government’s belief that the shift from catching sprats and other endangered fish species

to the establishment of sustainable aquaculture had taken place. To ensure the sustainable devel- opment of aquaculture in rural areas, create new sources of income and improve the well-being and health of coastal and local populations, the Government also amended the old fisheries law in 2014, introducing new provisions on aquacul- ture (Azerbaijan Scientific-Research Fisheries Institute). In Iran, gross revenue from fishing in the Cas- pian Sea is falling, due in part to the decline in bioresources (Strukova et al. 2016). The Kazakhstan fisheries sector relies on the Cas- pian Sea to a greater degree; 40 per cent of fish caught in Kazakhstan came from the Ural-Cas- pian basin in 2010, while the rest came from Balkhash-Alakol and Zaysan-Irtysh (FAO 2010). It is still a small sector, contributing approxi- mately 0.8 per cent of the GDP of Kazakhstan in 2010 and supporting around 17,000 official jobs. According to the IUCN, five species of sturgeon are currently listed as critically endangered in the Caspian (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii, Acipenser nudiventris, Acipenser persicus, Acipenser stel- latus and Huso huso (Gessner et al. 2010). Little information is available on the role that il- legal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing plays in Turkmenistan. However, what is known suggests that poaching is minimal because the country has four high-speed patrol boats moni- toring its 1,200 km coastline, most of which sur- rounds Turkmenbashi (Muradov 2011). Declining fish stocks, coupled with a lack of re- training and new employment opportunities, have resulted in some shifting of the workforce from legal fishing to poaching (Strukova et al. 2016). 6.4. Shipping The Caspian Sea is positioned between two large trading areas, with the Asian market to the east and the European to the west. Geographical location and oil and gas resources are both in- fluencing the current growth in shipping in the Caspian Sea.

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