Scholars struggling for safer Caspian

An alien medusa-shaped organism Mnemiopsis leidyi first appeared in the Caspian in 2000 and is believed to have entered the Sea with ballast waters from the Azov-Black Sea basin via the Volga-Don canal. Having become a serious rival for indigenous Caspian inhabitants in the struggle for survival, the Mnemiopsis leidyi is rapidly proliferating and threatens with extinction of seals and other valuable species. The situation can dramatically worsen as early as this year.

Ways out of the current situation were in the focus of a three-day international seminar in Baku, organized by the UNDP Caspian Ecological Program (CEP).

According to a CEP spokesman Vladimir Vladimirov, the seminar considered the possibility of introducing a similar organism, Beroe Ovata, which feeds on Mnemiopsis leidyi. Another way out lies through the introduction of the so-called “butterfish”, which, much to the satisfaction of fishermen, could also supplement the fishing assortment of the Sea.

However, this is not yet the time for active measure-taking, Mr. Vladimirov said. Therefore, the scientists have decided to remain content with sea monitoring.

Also attending the seminar were scientists from littoral countries, as well as Ukraine, Belgium, Germany, Finland, Italy, USA, Australia, and Turkey.*