Ecology

TACIS FUNDING FOR CEP OVER

Tacis funding for the Caspian Ecological Program (CEP) has been over, according to the Tacis Baku Office. Tacis has invested a total of 6 million Euro in the CEP since 1998.

Meanwhile, the UNDP is expected to continue financing the program till July this year. Also backing the CEP is the World Bank.

The coordination bureau of the CEP is expected to shift from Baku to Iran in September this year, a CEP source said Tuesday. As for the Tacis funds, the European entity will carry on support, the source said.

CASPIAN ECOLOGICAL FORUM TO BE SET UP

A conference "Interaction with transnational companies" was held in Astarkhan, Russia, from January 24-26 with the participation of NGOs from CIS countries, including Azerbaijan. Taking part in the conference were representatives from such oil majors as Shell, bp, LUKoil, as well as the Russian Ministry of Ecology, USAID, the Soros Foundation, the American Bar Association, etc.

According to an Azeri participant in the conference, it decided to set up a Caspian ecological forum, which would work together with the Caspian nations on the sea's status and protection of its ecological system.

The forum will aim to encourage the littoral states to come at a soonest solution to the status of the Caspian, to secure its comprehensive protection and to define special standards for the sea.

CITES MISSION IN BAKU

A mission of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is currently visiting Baku, according to an informed source.

The mission is studying the outcomes of the all Caspian expedition, which lasted for 45 days last year. It is noted that the Caspian Ecological Program hasn't yet announced these results.

One of the issues the mission is keen to explore is the observance of the Caspian moratorium for sturgeon fishing, which was established during the 45th meeting of the CITES Executive Committee in Paris in June, 2001.