Kazakhstan plans to take rare fish species in Aral, Caspian Sea for scientific purposes

ALMATY, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Kazakhstan plans to seize limited number of rare and endangered fish species, as well as other aquatic animals from the Aral and Caspian Seas, for scientific research and reproduction efforts, the Ministry of Agriculture's press service announced in a statement on Thursday.

The species subject to capture include the Caspian seal, Aral Sea shovelnose sturgeon, Aral barbel, nelma, and Caspian trout. The statement emphasized that only a restricted number of these animals will be caught under the supervision of the relevant authorities.

These species were once commercially fished but are now on the brink of extinction. Recent reports indicated mass die-offs among the Caspian seal population.

Kazakhstan's two major aquatic ecosystems, the Aral and Caspian Seas, are in decline. The water level of the Caspian Sea continues to drop, leading to a steady decrease in fish stocks.

Once the world's fourth-largest lake by area, the Aral Sea has been shrinking rapidly since the 1960s due to extensive water withdrawals from its main tributaries. Over time, it split into two separate bodies and nearly dried up entirely.

Earlier reports stated that efforts are underway to restore the Aral Sea, with its water volume projected to increase from 22 billion cubic meters today to 27 billion cubic meters by 2030.