530 seals dead in Kazakh Caspian

Moscow, Apr 19 (UNI) The murder of death seals washed ashore in the Caspian sea in Kazakhstan has risen from 330 to 530, with oil pollution and the weather considered as possible causes.

A total of 530 dead seals have been found washed up from March 31 to April 18 along the seashore between two major oil fields in western Kazakhstan, with 461 of them being baby seals, RIA Novosti news agency quoted Kazakh Emergencies Ministry's officials as saying.

''Until February 20, most of the north-eastern Caspian did not freeze and on February 21-22 the northern Caspian had a covering of thin ice, which melted by March 20, and it could have had a negative affect on the baby seals,'' the Ministry of Environmental Protection said.

It said the examination of the seal's bodies had not revealed any heavy metals or pesticides.

''Seawater tests carried out in the area did not reveal any oil products,'' it said.

Environmental Protection Minister Nurlan Iskakov said if oil companies were found guilty, they would be brought to justice.

Kalamkas and Karazhanbas are the largest oil fields in western Kazakhstan, where intensive production has been underway for more than 25 years.

In 2000, some 10,500 seals died allegedly of chronic intoxication on the Caspian Sea shore in western Kazakhstan.

UNI