The death of seals in Dagestan has attracted the attention of experts.

The Dagestan Ministry of Natural Resources reported on a review of reports of new seal deaths on the Caspian Sea coast. Telegram users suggested the animals are dying due to the unfavorable environmental situation.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," in recent years, residents of Dagestan have repeatedly reported mass deaths of seals listed in the Red Book. Participants in a scientific conference in Makhachkala named global warming and environmental problems, particularly those related to the lack of wastewater treatment facilities at the sea, among the possible causes of the seal deaths.

The Dagestan Ministry of Natural Resources is receiving new reports of seal deaths on the Caspian Sea coast, the agency reported on its Telegram channel. "To verify the information, department specialists are conducting an on-site survey of the coastline from Makhachkala to the mouth of the Terek River," the publication states.

If the death of the animals is confirmed, the department stated that "competent authorities will be notified and involved" to determine the cause and organize the disposal of the carcasses.

The Ministry of Natural Resources also called "not to draw premature conclusions and to await the experts' conclusions."

"The death of Caspian seals (nerpa) during migration is a sad but annual natural phenomenon throughout the Caspian Sea, including the coasts of Dagestan, Kalmykia, and Kazakhstan. Scientific research over the past several years, including virological analysis, has never confirmed the theory of mass infectious diseases. The main cause, according to scientists, is asphyxia (suffocation) of animals passing through zones of powerful emissions of natural gas (methane, hydrogen sulfide) from the seabed associated with seismic activity. "activity," the publication states.

A video recording taken on the seashore was published on December 1 on the Telegram channel "Atypical Makhachkala" (243,400 subscribers). The footage shows two seal carcasses on the shore. The video's caption notes that it was recorded in Kaspiysk.

As of 1:40 p.m. Moscow time, 377 comments had been posted. Many of them suggested that the animals' deaths were due to sea pollution.

"A catastrophe. An environmental one," wrote one user with a nickname consisting of a period. "Poor things. Everyone will die in this dirty sea," wrote Alia Mirzaeva. "All living things are dying because of human activity," opined another user.

They're polluting, everything is dying.

"They're polluting, everything is dying," wrote Virus covid. "Our descendants will probably only see animals in old documentaries," Svetlana suggested.

"Most likely an environmental incident caused by humans," wrote Susana. "Couldn't they die of natural causes? They can't live forever, can they?" wondered MN N.

"They die in packs every time, and no one can figure out why... Where is this all heading?" lamented No Name. "They've been dying for at least 10 years, and they still can't figure out why," Zaga also noted.

As a reminder, the carcasses of dead seals were discovered in Makhachkala in early January. Authorities reported that the carcasses of animals that died due to unfavorable environmental conditions have been removed from the coast. Scientists and the Ministry of Natural Resources indicated that underwater earthquakes and gas emissions could have been the causes of the seal deaths in Dagestan. Other experts countered that the deaths were caused by Caspian Sea pollution.