Azernews.Az

By Gunay Hasanova

Ashgabat hosts a regional meeting to discuss the draft protocol on cooperation regarding the fight against illegal exploitation of biological resources (poaching) in ​​the Caspian Sea.

The Turkmen Foreign Ministry reported that the forum is attended by the authorized representatives of the Caspian littoral states.

The meeting hears views on the rules of the conservation, sustainable use of marine biological resources and the management of the joint resources.

Noting the commitment to continue seeking mutually acceptable decisions on the provisions of the above mentioned project while taking into account the proposals of all littoral states, the parties are discussing the possibility of joint action to eliminate poaching in the Caspian Sea, the message said.

The Caspian Sea is the biggest enclosed body of water on Earth, with enormous deposits of oil and gas as well as rich fisheries. It plays an important role in the transport corridors, along with being an important part of the international and regional projects.

The five coastal states -- Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Iran -- signed a framework convention on the protection of the marine environment of the Caspian Sea in November 2003.

A key problem to further development in the region is the unresolved status of the Caspian Sea and the water boundaries among the five littoral states.

The legal status has been remained unsolved during the past two decades, preventing development and exploitation of its disputable oil and gas fields and creating obstacles to the realization of major energy projects.

Negotiations related to the demarcation of the Caspian Sea have been going on for nearly a decade now among the littoral states bordering the Caspian.

Azerbaijan proposes that the Caspian Sea must be divided into national sectors based on the “median line” principles since it is an international boundary lake.

In turn, Iran and Turkmenistan oppose Azerbaijan’s position considering that the Caspian Sea must be divided into equal parts between the pre-Caspian countries so that each country must have 20% of the sea.

The Caspian Sea is a home to 80-85 percent of the world’s sturgeon, which has lately been facing a sharp decline in population. Moreover, the Caspian Sea with its rich natural resources is also home to about 141 other fish species.

However, this natural wonder is struggling with different problems, including pollution. The unresolved issue of the legal status is damaging the flora and fauna of the unique water basin.

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Gunay Hasanova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @gunhasanova

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