Parliament representatives from the provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran are trying to formulate a plan to assign a custodian for safeguarding the Caspian Sea. “Until a custodian is appointed, no categorical statement can be made on the kind and extent of pollutants or how to check and control them,” said spokesman of the Majlis Health Commission Mohammad Hossein Qorbani.
A comprehensive report on the sources and rates of pollution in the Caspian Sea does not exist, which has led to several other problems. The data on pollutants is insufficient and not entirely valid. The research and monitoring centers of the Department of Environment (DoE) have been asked “to investigate the situation on an urgent basis and prepare a substantive report on the sources and amount of pollutants in the Caspian Sea.” The environmental hazards can be tackled if statistics on the percentages of contaminants are available, ICANA news agency quoted the lawmaker as saying.
Industrial wastewater and sewage disposal into the sea pose serious threat to the health of locals and marine life. While contamination continues to pollute the sea, littoral nations “still do not have a unified plan for battling the environmental hazards,” he stated.
Massive Deaths
The lawmaker further said toxic wastes and pollutants have resulted in “massive die-off of several aquatic species.” Iran and the other littoral states of the Caspian will all suffer non-compensable loss if serious action is not taken,” he cautioned.
Several species which were once commonly trawled during fishing seasons are no longer to be found. Due to the spread of harmful contaminants, tragically, the Caspian kutum, salmon, and grey mullets, are all in danger of extinction. This should be a serious warning for the economy and health of the country, the lawmaker stressed.
Different organizations continue to dodge responsibility (mainly the reason why a custodian has not yet been appointed) and the coastal areas are not patrolled to prevent littering. The health of locals has also been put to risk as trash continues to pile up on the sea shores.
