list /n software RSSBus - Free Version http://www.caspianenvironment.org/rssbus/CEPBulletin.rsb? CaspianEnvironment.org E-Bulletin <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=4">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> April-2005 :New Minister of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan www.CaspianEnvironment.org 4 Mr. Makhtumkuli Akmuradov was appointed as the new Minister of Nature Protection by the decree of Saparmurat Niyazov, the President of Turkmenistan. He will be the new National Focal Point for the Caspian Environment Programme in Turkmenistan. Mr. Makhtumkuli’s vast knowledge and experience coupled with his outstanding leadership and foresight will greatly contribute to the effective management and protection of natural resources in Turkmenistan and the Caspian Sea. Caspian Environment Programme is looking forward to his valuable partnership and counseling in the activities of CEP. New Minister of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan 2005 April Since we last met 3xh978q75d7DXa4Epz7CO6vw/+Q= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=4">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> April-2005 :CEP New Website Launched www.CaspianEnvironment.org 4 In March 2005, the new CEP web site was launched. The new web site has an attractive view with a sea motive Flash animation. Clean layout and convenient neat navigation keep the focus on content, which reflects all aspects of the Caspian Environment Programme including: • General information about Caspian Sea, littoral states and environment • Description of the Programme, Convention, and Programme documents • CEP and PCU details • Projects, meetings, grants • Data, databases, maps and GIS • Public Relations • News, events, reports It is easy to find required topics with animated drop down menu, whereas floating submenu bar provides quick links to related topics. The new web site also has a powerful Google based search engine. With its transparent content and clear design the new web site opens wide possibilities for dissemination of CEP achievements and public awareness. CEP New Website Launched 2005 April Since we last met H+fN7kKiaEMTI3Cj2lLA8ODJLtU= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=4">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> April-2005 :POPS Meeting in Tehran, March 6-8 2005 www.CaspianEnvironment.org 4 The POPs regional meeting was held on March 6-8 in Tehran at the PCU office. The objectives of this meeting were to identify initiating actions towards the development of a Regional Action Plan for addressing the activities contributing to the transboundary PTS including POPs, hydrocarbons and heavy metal pollution; selecting two pilot areas to undertake a survey of usage and stockpiling of pesticides and to undertake a regional public awareness campaign against use of nabbed pesticides and other PTS. On the basis of discussion, it was agreed to undertake a survey identifying the obsolete pesticide sites and then to find out how those sites could be managed. Moreover, the issue of public participation and public awareness in regard to POPs were discussed. The regional consultant for Enabling Programme in Iran and EU/TACIS representative in the region also participated in this endeavor. POPS Meeting in Tehran, March 6-8 2005 2005 April Since we last met c7YrxmcYJZeTCb94eBEfHxwQc/A= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=4">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> April-2005 :EIA Meeting, Moscow, 9-12 March 2005 www.CaspianEnvironment.org 4 UNEP ROE organised three Caspian Convention meetings in Moscow from 8th to 12th March 2005. It encompassed three separate meetings including the First Meeting of Government-designated experts on Rules of Procedure and financial rules for the Framework Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea, First Meeting of Government-designated experts on the Protocol on EIA to the Framework Convention, and Information session on state of preparation for the signing of the Protocol concerning regional cooperation in combating oil pollution in cases of emergency. In these meetings the Rules of Procedure for the COP were negotiated and finalised; the first scoping discussion for the Protocol on Transboundary EIA was undertaken; and the status of the Protocol on Regional Co-operation in cases of Oil Spill Emergencies was reviewed. UNEP delegations to meeting included the Director, Programme Officer and Special Assistant to the Director. EIA Meeting, Moscow, 9-12 March 2005 2005 April Since we last met /ECyX4wKnftchQsbqsn4wEF7i94= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=4">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> April-2005 :Process of State Planning of Oil Spills Response Seminar, Baku, March 17-18, 2005 www.CaspianEnvironment.org 4 The meeting was organized by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Azerbaijan Republic in cooperation with the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Det Norske Veritas (DNV) within the framework of “Development of Azerbaijan National Plan on oil spills elimination” project. 58 representatives from 40 organizations, including those from EBRD, IMO, OSPRI, IPIECA, ???, UNDP Azerbaijan etc. participated in the Seminar. The delegates from OSPRI Kazakhstan and Ministry of ER of the Republic of Kazakhstan were the participants of the Meeting. The main aim of the Round table was a discussion and determination of the structure, content and functions of the future National Committee on Planning Oil spills elimination. The main topics of the Meeting included: the structure of the developed National Plan on oil spills elimination; the role of governmental organizations and companies in the planning process; the links of the future Plan with the existing legal base; coordination of governmental efforts and private sector in qualitative enhancement of country readiness for emergency response in cases of oil spills; integration of the existing and future plans on emergency response into the National Plan structure; and integration of the National Plan on oil spills into the draft of the Caspian Regional Plan on emergency response of IMO Convention. Process of State Planning of Oil Spills Response Seminar, Baku, March 17-18, 2005 2005 April Since we last met IN2MHFG5FNJ8Y9lg573b3BgDZF0= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=4">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> April-2005 :EIA Meeting, Baku, April 4th and 5th, 2005 www.CaspianEnvironment.org 4 Awareness Raising and Capacity Building Workshop for “Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context in the Caspian Sea Region”, is to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, 4 -5 April 2005. The workshop will be organized by the UNEP Regional Office for Europe and Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, in collaboration with the Caspian Environment Programme and the Secretariat of the Espoo Convention, UNECE. The workshop will involve a broad range of stakeholders, including representatives from Government authorities, local coastal and environmental authorities, industry and NGOs. The workshop is the first of a series of national workshops to implement transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment throughout the five littoral states of the Caspian Sea Region. It is organized in the context of UNEP Regional Office for Europe’s capacity building program under the Second Phase of the Global Environment Facility (‘GEF’) project, entitled ‘Towards a Convention and Action Programme for the Protection of the Caspian Sea Environment'. This Phase will build upon the results of the First Phase of the GEF project, which include the development of a set of Guidelines that consist of a set of step-by-step procedures to implement transboundary EIA in the Caspian Sea region. The objectives of the workshop include awareness raising and the strengthening of local institutional capacity. The workshop aims to promote and encourage a greater understanding of the national procedures for the implementation of the transboundary EIA and of the roles of actors in the transboundary EIA process. It also aims to open communication channels and promote greater coordination and understanding between government agencies and stakeholders involved in transboundary EIA. EIA Meeting, Baku, April 4th and 5th, 2005 2005 April Up Comming RtaUTjXZRsiVl35+iW+el4aZynY= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=4">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> April-2005 :Regional Caspian Environment Journalism Workshop, Baku, April 5th-8th, 2005 www.CaspianEnvironment.org 4 In line with the provision of the GEF II Project Document and in collaboration with UNEP, Caspian Environment Programme will hold a “Regional Caspian Environment Journalism Workshop” from 5th to 8th April 2005 in Baku – Azerbaijan Republic. The objectives of the workshop are: • Provide an overview of Caspian environmental issues from a scientific, environmental and political perspective; • Introduce the participants to one or two specific Caspian environmental issues that they will investigate and write articles about for publication; and • Provide an opportunity for Caspian region journalists to work side by side with senior environmental reporters from outside the region. • Network Caspian journalists with one another and with international journalists. The ultimate goal of the workshop is to provide hands-on skills for reporters from the littoral countries. Development of environmental news stories for publishing in the national, local and international media would be the outcome of the workshop. The workshop will dovetail to another workshop that UNEP is organizing in Baku on April 4th and 5th on EIA. The interaction will provide our participants (journalists) with more exposure with the EIA experts to have an overview of Caspian environmental issues, interview with them and prepare reports. Regional Caspian Environment Journalism Workshop, Baku, April 5th-8th, 2005 2005 April Up Comming loFy6x7iwle2Y6jwY/eCb/go9Rs= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=4">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> April-2005 :Second Meeting of the BISRAG, Almaty, Kazakhstan, 25th-26th April, 2005 www.CaspianEnvironment.org 4 The objectives of the Second Meeting of BISRAG are to discuss the status of CEP activities on Biodiversity and biodiversity work-plan; establishment of EcoNet for Caspian Region; information, monitoring and protection of Caspian habitats and species, the status of the Caspian Seal Survey and draft of a Caspian Seal Action Plan (CSAP). The envisioned outputs of this meeting will be the draft of Caspian Seal Action Plan; an agreement on roadmap for establishment of EcoNet; identification of data sources and biodiversity indicators for monitoring as well as an agreement on the biodiversity work-plan. Second Meeting of the BISRAG, Almaty, Kazakhstan, 25th-26th April, 2005 2005 April Up Comming uir2y55TVFbIl0KRh2SR+5O4QSg= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=4">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> April-2005 :Second Meeting on the Biodiversity Protocol,Almaty, Kazakhstan, 27th- 29th April, 2005 www.CaspianEnvironment.org 4 The Second Meeting of Government-designated experts on the Biodiversity Protocol to the Framework Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea will be held in Almaty from 27th to 29th April, 2005. The first draft of the Biodiversity Protocol to the Framework Convention on the Protection of the Caspian Marine Environment will be presented and discussed by the experts of the Caspian littoral countries. Second Meeting on the Biodiversity Protocol,Almaty, Kazakhstan, 27th- 29th April, 2005 2005 April Up Comming P5qlyGyCeqOShk0Jaq88Gpv8EW4= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=4">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> April-2005 :Small Grant Program on Sustainable Development of Caspian coastal Communities Commences www.CaspianEnvironment.org 4 March 1st, 2005 (AzerTac): The Regional Environmental Center for Caucasus has announced a commencement of the EU-funded Small Grants Program on Sustainable Development of Caspian Costal Communities. The Program is aimed at prevention of overuse of the natural resources in the Caspian Sea region by creating alternative energy sources, and will be implemented in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Russia (Kalmikiya, Daghestan and Astrakhan oblast) up to 2006. The total amount of grants is 1,2 million Euro. In Azerbaijan, the Program will be implemented in two stages. The first one includes 17 projects worth 90074 Euro, and the second implies realization of 24 projects worth 199945 Euro in Baku, Absheron peninsula, Astara, Masally, Sabirabad, Salyan, Siyazan, Khachmaz, Devechi and Lankaran. The projects mainly cover agriculture, environmental education, waste processing and food production. Overall, 41 projects worth 290019 Euro will be implemented in Azerbaijan under the Program. Small Grant Program on Sustainable Development of Caspian coastal Communities Commences 2005 April General News RoSg3sTOtGoc7BuzRdJVwjdsxo0= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=4">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> April-2005 :Azerbaijan Releases 19.9 Million Sturgeon Fry into the Caspian www.CaspianEnvironment.org 4 March 2nd, 2005 (AzerTac): Ten fish-factories under the Department for Reproduction & Protection of Bioresources in Basins of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan released 456,3 million fry of different species of fish into the Caspian Sea, Kura river and inner reservoirs in 2004. Khylli fish-farming factory built with the World Bank’s financial support in Neftchala released 6 mln sturgeon fry. In 2005, the factories are going to release 19.9 mln sturgeon fries into the sea. Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has approved the quota for export of black caviar in 2005, the Ministry said. Azerbaijan’s black caviar export quota in 2005 will make up 6730 kg including 3780 kg of sturgeon, 2700 kg – stellate sturgeon and 250 kg - beluga caviar. Azerbaijan Releases 19.9 Million Sturgeon Fry into the Caspian 2005 April General News 5cQkqTB4Bo655S2rnQAlJGpb/AE= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=4">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> April-2005 :Moscow Set to Monopolize Sturgeon Catches www.CaspianEnvironment.org 4 MOSCOW, March 4th, 2005 (RIA Novosti): The UN agency for protecting endangered plant and animal species demanded that all black-caviar exports be suspended from January 2005. Caspian countries exporting this delicacy did not provide any statistics on poaching in late 2004, and according to Jim Armstrong, deputy secretary-general of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), failed to honor a 2001 agreement on protecting sturgeon species. CITES experts claim that commercial (legal) sturgeon catches now total about 1,100 tons, but illegal catches exceed this sum total four times over. The Soviet Union supplied the bulk of all sturgeon products for a long time. The situation began to change after the USSR's disintegration. However, CITES started imposing quotas on sturgeon catches and caviar exports, and a new leader emerged. In 2003 CITES allowed littoral countries to export nearly 147 tons of caviar. Iran had the right to export 78.8 tons and Russia 30.3 tons. Russia has passed a number of laws to regulate issues connected with the sturgeon population. The army joined the fight against poachers in 1993. Inspectors can arrest poachers effectively and use firearms when necessary. Moreover, a 1994 government resolution stipulated heavy fines for illegal sturgeon catches: the penalty for one beluga (white sturgeon) is $511, for one Baikal, Atlantic or Sakhalin sturgeon $365, one stellate sturgeon $175.2 and one sterlet $43.8. Nonetheless, even fishing and fish-protection organizations, as well as law-enforcement agencies, are now forced to admit officially that the market owes its existence to poachers alone. Mr. Ilyasov says the Russian authorities are unable to control caviar and sturgeon sales. "The state and the population suffer enormous losses, while poachers make huge profits," he says. "Even the most modest estimates show that there are five kilograms of illegal caviar per every legal kilogram." According to unofficial estimates, illegal caviar output exceeds official production ten times over. Consequently, officials are now trying hard to save the day. Alexei Gordeyev, Russia's Minister of Agriculture, has called for a state monopoly on sturgeon catches and sturgeon and caviar sales. A bill, "On Preserving Sturgeon Resources and Ensuring Their Rational Use," has been drafted. The document stipulates regulations on sturgeon catches, reproduction and protection. Under the paper, the state will establish a federal unitary enterprise to monitor sturgeon-processing operations and sturgeon sales. The monopolist will be provided with tremendous resources to combat illegal producers. Moscow Set to Monopolize Sturgeon Catches 2005 April General News 8EUl6BoZocKQPrJ9YdlLFvzQrZ4= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=4">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> April-2005 :Stockholders of Caspian Pipeline Consortium get Close to Understanding www.CaspianEnvironment.org 4 MOSCOW, March 14th, 2005 (RIA Novosti): Stockholders of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium plan to finish drafting the memorandum on mutual understanding in early April, Kazakhstan's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Vladimir Shkolnik told journalists on Monday. "It means that only technical issues will remain," Mr. Shkolnik said. The Caspian Pipeline Consortium was established in 1992 by the governments of Kazakhstan, Russia and Oman to construct and use the 1,580-km export oil pipeline from the Tengiz oil field in Kazakhstan to the port of Novorossiisk (Russia's Black Sea coast). The maximum annual capacity of the pipeline is 67 million tons of oil. Russia accounts for 24% of the consortium's stock, Kazakhstan for 19% and Oman - 7%. The remaining 50% belong to US companies Chevron (15%), Mobil Oil (7.5%) and Oryx (1.75%), the Russian-US joint venture LUKArco (12.5%), the Russian-British joint venture Rosneft-Shell Caspian Ventures (7.5%), UK's British Gas (2%), Italian Agip (2%) and Kazakhstan Pipeline (1.75%). Stockholders of Caspian Pipeline Consortium get Close to Understanding 2005 April General News PjulkGKyVmAZVDKgGZA9jqVOD/E= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=4">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> April-2005 :Terrorist attacks in Caspian Sea Possible - Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan www.CaspianEnvironment.org 4 BAKU. March 15th, 2005 (Interfax): The heads of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan's border security agencies said, following their meeting in Baku, they do not rule out the possibility that terrorist attacks may take place on the oil extraction facilities in the Caspian Sea. "We do not rule out the possibility of such incidents occurring on oil platforms," said director of the Kazakh National Security Committee's border service Bolat Zakiyev. Head of the Azerbaijani Border Service Elchin Guliyev said that he shares this opinion. "It would be wrong to rule out this possibility completely," Guliyev said. Guliyev said that preventing terrorist attacks on oil deposits was the objective of large-scale maneuvers, conducted by Azerbaijani border guards in the Caspian region in 2004. Terrorist attacks in Caspian Sea Possible - Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan 2005 April General News rAXginBLoND+4UADy7kMtx571Hk= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=4">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> April-2005 :Russia Opposes Foreign Forces’ Interference with Caspian www.CaspianEnvironment.org 4 March 17th, 2005 (AZER News): Russia has forwarded several new provisions for the draft convention on the Caspian legal status. The proposals were put on discussion at a recent meeting of the five littoral states' working groups in Astana, Kazakhstan, says head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's working group on Caspian issues, Aleksandr Golovin. Russia has proposed to impose a ban on sail of non-Caspian states' vessels, authorize littoral states alone to use the resources of the Sea and guard it, as well as to maintain a stable balance of armament in the region. However, Russia's partners have not reached a specific agreement on Moscow's proposals yet. Russia Opposes Foreign Forces’ Interference with Caspian 2005 April General News 2VvRBYl12JEXojv2NEzV4CJjL4E= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=5">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> May-2005 :MSGP & MEG Workshop Meetings www.CaspianEnvironment.org 5 Workshops on the new rounds of MSGP and MEG under the framework of the Caspian Environment Programme were held at the Caspian coastal areas of the five Caspian littoral states. Presentations were made by National MPPAs in Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Kazakhstan, Russian federation and Turkmenistan as well as the MSGP Staff (in Iranian coastal cities of Rasht, Sari and Gorgan) on general concept of CEP and its activities by focusing on public participation and Grants programmes (MSGP and MEG). MSGP/MEG flyers, brochures were also distributed among participants. Representatives from the governmental organizations, private sector, municipalities, NGOs and etc. in line with outreach activities of MSGP/MEG participated in these workshops. It is worth mentioning that the deadline for submission of the Final MSGP Applications is August 15th, 2005. For more information please visit our website at http://www.caspianenvironment.org. MSGP & MEG Workshop Meetings 2005 May Since we last met T+e13oEPUXxX6jATuMj2NeDbmuU= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=5">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> May-2005 :International Conference on Rapid Sea Level Changes, a Caspian Perspective, 2-9 May 2005, Rasht, I.R www.CaspianEnvironment.org 5 This conference is sponsored by three international programmes all dealing with environmental changes and human responses to them namely, UNESCO, IUGS the International Union of Geological Sciences and ICSU International union of Sciences. Other Sponsors include Guilan University, Iranian National Center for Oceanography, Geological Survey of Iran and SHELL International Exploration and Production B.V. This meeting aims to discuss natural and man-made causes and consequences of sea-level change in the Caspian Sea, which has experienced rapid sea-level change at a rate much higher than the global rate during the last century. The main topics of the conference are climate, weather, hydrology, modeling, chronology, remote sensing, global outlook, historic impact and coastal management. For more information, please visit its website, http://www.caspiansealevelchange.org International Conference on Rapid Sea Level Changes, a Caspian Perspective, 2-9 May 2005, Rasht, I.R 2005 May Up Comming KL7GHoBXLWRi5z+D8dF8ciNNtHA= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=5">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> May-2005 :International Sturgeon Symposium, 9-13 May 2005, Ramsar, I.R. Iran www.CaspianEnvironment.org 5 The 5th International Symposium on Sturgeons (ISS) will be held May 9 to 13, 2005 near the shores of the Caspian Sea at the Ramsar Parsian Hotel, Ramsar, Iran. The event will continue the highly successful series of Symposia that have brought together scientists and students of various disciplines (general biology, ecology, physiology, genetics) regulatory and enforcement authorities, fishermen and fisheries managers, aquaculturists, producers and traders of fishery products as well as environmentalists and conservationists. The Symposium will place special emphasis on the most recent developments in science, technology and management related to sturgeon stock status in various global ecosystems (in particular in enclosed seas), sturgeon habitat requirements and restoration strategies as well as on conservation programmes and policies. Further, number important practical subjects will be covered including: Modern approaches in sturgeon aquaculture: Broodstock handling and management; selection for culture and stock enhancement; hatchery design and operation; nutrition studies for various sturgeon species; analysis of production systems such as pond culture and recirculation technology. The Symposium will be organized in close cooperation with the World Sturgeon Conservation Society (WSCS), the future home of subsequent ISS events. For more information, please visit the ISS 5 website http://www.iss5.org . International Sturgeon Symposium, 9-13 May 2005, Ramsar, I.R. Iran 2005 May Up Comming KJzfCFC3u9P4UQBw9dmkZfDKuzQ= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=5">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> May-2005 :Oil Spill Preparedness Workshop for the Caspian Region, 10-12 May 2005, Baku www.CaspianEnvironment.org 5 This regional oil spill preparedness workshop is being held to maintain momentum with the development of regional cooperation. It is understood that progress with the adoption of the Framework Convention indicates that the Emergency Protocol may be signed in 2005, bringing the Regional Plan into operational effectiveness. The workshop will target the operational use and function of the Regional Plan. The key objectives are: 1-Structure the workshop around potential transboundary scenarios and ‘walk through’ how incidents would unfold, focussing on the roll of regional cooperation. 2- Increase knowledge of the detailed content of the regional plan amongst operational staff (those who would be using the document’s procedures in cases of major incident). 3- Identify any barriers to effective use of the regional plan. 4- Incorporate some basic technical elements of oil spill response into scenarios. 5- Discuss practical and equitable mechanisms for robust and sustainable tiered response capability based on risk assessments. 6- Raise Government personnel’s awareness of OSPRI members’ oil spill contingency planning in the region, particularly how ‘tier 3’ capability can integrate with Governments’ regional cooperation mechanisms. 7- Identify potential areas where national plans can be developed further to strengthen the regional framework and 8- Discuss future Governmental institutional arrangements for regional coordination. Relevant government representatives from the Caspian littoral States, CEP Programme Coordination Unit, IMO and other inter-governmental organization (e.g. UNDP, UNEP), Oil Spill Preparedness Regional Initiative - OSPRI (affiliated to IPIECA), Relevant oil spill service providers/contractors and Lending institutions are anticipated to participate in this workshop. Oil Spill Preparedness Workshop for the Caspian Region, 10-12 May 2005, Baku 2005 May Up Comming xXWcxIaapJlIajCb2nmVMAVaOCo= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=5">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> May-2005 :2nd Meeting of LBS Protocol, 20-22 May 2005, Ashgabat www.CaspianEnvironment.org 5 The Second meeting of the Government designated Experts will be held in Ashgabad, Turkmenistan, on 20-22 May 2005 for reading and reviewing of the revised first Draft of the Protocol, which was redrafted through taking proper account of the deliberations and agreed changes and amendments to the provisions discussed and approved at the first meeting. The First meeting of Government designated experts on the Draft Protocol for the protection of the Caspian Sea against pollution from land-based sources and activities to the Framework Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea was held in Ashgabad, Turkmenistan on 24-25 January 2005, in which the Government Experts completed their first reading of the Preamble and articles 1 to 8 of the Draft Protocol. 2nd Meeting of LBS Protocol, 20-22 May 2005, Ashgabat 2005 May Up Comming 3WRdmAF+4PpxCiqdmyH1KJJXnJc= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=5">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> May-2005 :Sustainable Coastal Development RAG Meeting, 23-24 May 2005, Ashgabat www.CaspianEnvironment.org 5 The second meeting of the Sustainable Coastal Area Development Regional Advisory Group (SCADRAG) will be held on May 23-24, 2005 in Ashgabat. This meeting will be organized by the EU/Tacis supported Sustainable Development of Coastal Communities Project and the project consultant IMC. This meeting will follow the 2nd meeting of the Land Based Sources of Pollution Protocol which will be held on May 20 thru 22nd in Ashgabat under the stewardship of the UNEP thus allowing those participants who would be attending both meetings to stay on and continue work uninterrupted. The objectives of the SCADRAG meeting will include: Providing the RAG members with an opportunity to review the SAP progress with regards to the activities related to the sustainable development of coastal areas in general and the progress made under the EU/Tacis supported project in particular with a view to recommend follow up activities; Discussing the working arrangements for the RAG with a view to formulate recommendations to modify and /or improve the RAG TOR; and Discussing other issues on interest to the SCADRAG. Sustainable Coastal Development RAG Meeting, 23-24 May 2005, Ashgabat 2005 May Up Comming PyCQ38+M5kTkxY2PNmyHzwCGzR0= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=5">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> May-2005 :Caspian Seafood Reserves Declining www.CaspianEnvironment.org 5 April 4th, 2005 (Iran Daily): A senior Iranian fisheries official on Monday predicted that sturgeon exports are expected to drop by 20-25 percent in the year to March 2006.Sohrab Rezvani, who heads Iran Fisheries Research Institute, told ILNA that the Caspian Sea is facing a crisis of reduced seafood reserves. He called on the Caspian Sea littoral states to embark on joint efforts to prevent unauthorized catch of sturgeon. “Recovery projects and release of sturgeon fingerlings have to be given top priority by these countries” he said, warning that the Caspian reserves are on the verge of extinction. He said a Commission on Live Reserves would soon be set up in Iran as part of efforts to prevent poaching. Iran is planning to establish a caviar company in mid-2005 seeking to organize production and export of the expensive seafood. The country’s sturgeon catch has dropped considerably in recent years due to environmental reasons.Iran is playing a crucial role in preserving aquatic resources of the Caspian Sea and is determined to crack down on illegal caviar trade. Iran remains the world’s largest caviar exporter with 59.9 tons a year. Turkmenistan with three tons holds the lowest caviar export quota among Caspian Sea littoral sates .Russia, the largest exporter after Iran, is authorized to export 20.7 tons of caviar, Kazakhstan 14 tons and Azerbaijan six tons. Caspian Seafood Reserves Declining 2005 May General News xa6OEUmVAQ5l+7D/IsvUhJ9f3K0= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=5">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> May-2005 :USA military bases in Azerbaijan www.CaspianEnvironment.org 5 April 13th, 2005 (Today.Az): Commander of the USA European Command, General James Jones said during the hearings in the Congress that a lot has been done in realizing the initiative "Protection of the Caspian Sea region". According to the General, the "Protection of the Caspian Sea region" will ensure continuous protection of air, sea and land boundaries of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. The Pentagon has been carrying out the work on this conception since 2003. It is considered in the conception to form specially appointed groupings and police forces in the Caspian Sea countries including to the USA impact circle. Terrorists' attacks to oil objects and pipelines will be neutralized by these forces. "Protection of the Caspian Sea" will play the role of ahead post of The USA Europe Command, the Caspian Sea region is included to the impact circle of this command the main headquarters of which is located in Stuttgart. "Wall Street Journal" wrote that the headquarters of "Protection of the Caspian Sea region" which will be supplied with new, the most up-to date radars will be located in Baku. The main aim of the forces of the headquarters is to protect the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline from the terrorists' attack. Besides it, the "Protection of the Caspian Sea region" forces can be directed to the solution of such matters as illegal circulation of drugs and gun smuggling. The USA government intends to spend $100 million to the forming "Protection of Caspian Sea region" brigades during 10-year period. /APA/ USA military bases in Azerbaijan 2005 May General News JfIopci+Kpsn2vz11VpSn4avPC4= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=5">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> May-2005 :DOE Head Hails approval of Caspian Sea Convention by Iran's Parliament www.CaspianEnvironment.org 5 April 12th, 2005 (IRNA): Vice President and Head of the Department of the Environment (DOE) Masoumeh Ebtekar said in Tehran on Tuesday that the recent ratification by Majlis of a convention on preservation of the Caspian Sea environment was one the greatest achievements of the legislative body. Environment ministers of the Caspian Sea littoral states, namely Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, had signed the convention's draft in Tehran in 2003 after eight years of discussions and in coordination with the international organizations. The draft should be then approved by the parliaments of the five Caspian Sea neighbors. Iran's Islamic Consultative Assembly overwhelmingly ratified the document last Sunday. Based on the convention, Ebtekar told a group of reporters here that the signatories should contribute to protection of the Caspian Sea environment by seriously fulfilling their responsibilities and preparing grounds for implementation of regular and collective cooperation to this end. They should also adopt all appropriate measures to prevent, reduce and control pollution of the sea both individually or through multilateral cooperation. Referring to the firm resolve of the four other littoral states for a quick ratification of the document, Ebtekar expressed hope that it would be approved by their parliaments in a near future. DOE Head Hails approval of Caspian Sea Convention by Iran's Parliament 2005 May General News bFX7AXmHwzjYRz6zRjSb00jgeh4= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=5">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> May-2005 :Caviar importer in Miami fined $1 million for smuggling www.CaspianEnvironment.org 5 April 18th, 205 (Sun-Sentinel): A Miami-based company that is one of the biggest importers of sturgeon caviar into the United States has been sentenced on federal wildlife and smuggling charges, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced Friday in a release. U.S. District Judge Alan S. Gold in Miami sentenced Optimus Inc., doing business as Marky's Caviar and International Food Emporium, to pay a $1 million fine and serve five years of probation during which it must follow a strict wildlife compliance plan. The money will be deposited into a fund used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reward tipsters for information leading to convictions of those who violate wildlife law. Optimus had admitted it bought about 5.9 tons of smuggled caviar from five smuggling rings to fulfill a heightened demand between late 1999 and early 2000. The company told suppliers to provide invoices saying the caviar had been legally imported, despite indications to the contrary. A major threat to sturgeons' survival is the trade in black market caviar smuggled from Russia and four other Caspian Sea nation. Caviar importer in Miami fined $1 million for smuggling 2005 May General News Qg4OAhym4Ix5UVVc2g9tjPWi+Zo= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=5">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> May-2005 :Road Menacing Golestan National Park www.CaspianEnvironment.org 5 April 24th, 2005 (Iran Daily): Ministry of Roads and Transportation’s refusal to reroute a transit road already passing through Golestan National Park, has endangered the park’s flora and fauna, ISNA reported. Director General of Golestan Department of Environment warned that the 50-kilometer road with a traffic load of 16,000 cars per day has put at stake the park which is home to 24 percent of Iranian plant species. Some 145 animals were killed after being hit by cars passing through the park during the past year, Mohajer said, adding that carcasses were those of crows, pheasants, pigeons, forest owls, foxes, boars, jackals, forest cats, brown bears, cobras and lizards. “An international transit route crossing a protected area has no precedent in the world” he stated, noting this road poses a tremendous threat to the park’s wildlife. Following the devastation of the park during 1991-92 floods, the official mentioned, cabinet ministers decided to redirect the road. As per the decision, the Road Ministry was obliged to conduct preliminary studies on construction of a new road that would bypass the park.Notwithstanding the president’s direct order for rerouting the road, Mohajer complained, the ministry’s officials have turned a deaf ear to such directives, insisting that the North-East Freeway should pass through the park.The official warned that building a 4-lane freeway in the area would cause the protected zone to lose its designation as a national park. Located in the northeast end of Caspian forests, the National Park of Golestan has been a protected zone since 40 years ago. It is home to animals like bears, gazelles, bucks, deer, rams, ewes, wolves, cheetahs and goats. The park also shelters rare bird species such as ospreys and eagles. Road Menacing Golestan National Park 2005 May General News uFNDk24D8AKGnd4gkormGRzromM= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=5">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> May-2005 :GE Energy to supply gas injection technology for Caspian Sea project www.CaspianEnvironment.org 5 April 27th, 2005 (Oil Online): Agip KCO, an Eni affiliate acting as operator of the North Caspian Sea Production Sharing Agreement, has awarded GE Energy a contract to supply an ultra high-pressure, sour gas injection system for the Kashagan oil field in the North Caspian Sea. Located off the coast of Kazakhstan, Kashagan is one of the largest fields discovered over the last 30 years. The North Caspian Sea joint venture participants include the following contracting companies: Agip Caspian Sea B.V. (Eni), BG International Ltd., ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Inc., Shell Kazakhstan Development B.V., Total E&P Kazakhstan, ConocoPhillips and Inpex North Caspian Sea Ltd. The project will utilize GE Energy's latest technology for gas injection applications. Associated sour gas will be injected back into the oil reservoir at pressures up to 760 bar, the highest discharge pressure ever developed for gas injection. The scope of GE Energy's contract covers the initial gas injection system including the supply and full-load testing of two turbo compressor lines, engineering, procurement and technical field supervision. Delivery of the gas injection system to the project site is expected during the second half of 2006. GE Energy to supply gas injection technology for Caspian Sea project 2005 May General News VqNBflP7WSKu3rInlk77KvsCL5k= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=5">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> May-2005 :Migratory Birds Heading Home www.CaspianEnvironment.org 5 April 14th, 2005 (Iran Daily): Head of Astara Department of Environment said thousands of migratory birds started returning to their homes in cold northern countries from Gilan wetlands, ILNA reported. Asghar Khodkar noted that the birds, which spent the last winter in wetlands of the northern Gilan province, were leaving for Eastern Europe, Scandinavia and Siberia’s southern plains. He added that continuous rainfall particularly over the past month caused the water level in wetlands to rise, making it difficult for birds to find food. This was a motive behind early migration of the birds. “Thanks to high level of security in Gilan habitats, particularly in Aq and Esteel wetlands, as well as the favorable climatic conditions, lots of birds migrate here annually for spending the winter” he said. Khodkar noted that wetlands in Astara hosted close to 10,000 various waterfowls such as ducks, geese, herons, swans and flamingos last year (ended March 20).Expanded in an area of 200 hectares in south Astara, Aq and Esteel wetlands are popular wintering sites for migratory birds. Migratory Birds Heading Home 2005 May General News 35j6+Bs1hJF7cKI02h73yXVSAjs= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=5">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> May-2005 :Disputable Oilfield Impedes Overall Agreement on Delimitation of Caspian Seabed www.CaspianEnvironment.org 5 April 25th, 2005 (Azertac): “New round of negotiations between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan on ownership of disputable Kapaz oilfield in the Caspian sea, which is rich in hydrocarbon deposits has failed” deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov told AzerTAj correspondent. He added: “this impedes signing of the agreement among Caspian littoral states on delimitation of the Caspian seabed.” Disputable Oilfield Impedes Overall Agreement on Delimitation of Caspian Seabed 2005 May General News 7OQDrH9It35oDw7Nm8tkzAktOJo= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=5">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> May-2005 :Turkmenistani Gas may Bypass Russia www.CaspianEnvironment.org 5 April 27th, 2005 (Daily Russia Journal): Kiev — “Ukraine may initiate the construction of a gas pipeline to transport Turkmenistani gas to Europe bypassing Russia through the Caspian Sea” Azerbaijan and Georgia, Naftogaz Ukrainy CEO Alexey Ivchenko declared. Russia is considering this proposal and assessing its economic and political advisability, he added. "However, their decision is not of fundamental importance to us," Ivchenko said. He pointed out that a transnational consortium might be created to build a pipeline from Turkmenistan to Europe. Turkmenistani Gas may Bypass Russia 2005 May General News NmVwSIpI0JMqnYI+hmzOEuLbgQM= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=5">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> May-2005 :Plant Pests and Diseases Research Institute, Tehran, Iran www.CaspianEnvironment.org 5 Plant Pests and Diseases Research Institute (PPDRI) was established in Iran in 1943. The mission of PPDRI is to apply effective management procedure in order to preserve and protect the agricultural products through exact research methods on damaging agents considering environmental factors and sustainable agriculture. Presently, the research institute comprises of 10 research departments with 32 provincial branches covering all agro-ecological zones; execute approximately 700 research projects per year. However, publishing 160 scientific papers, conducting 90 thesis, presenting 130 scientific lectures, training 130 trainees per year are still some of the un-stated scientific potential lying ahead of the mission-oriented PPDRI. Moreover, its main objectives are: 1- Detection, prioritization and policy-making of plant protection research through the whole country co-ordinate with other related organizations. 2- Collection, identification and taxonomy of fauna and flora of Iran and development of the collections for research /education uses. 3- Research on biology, ecology and physiology of damaging agents and their natural enemies in agricultural products. 4- Economic assessment of damaging/useful agents. 5- Research on control methods and indicating the efficient management system of damaging insects. 6- Effective contribution in plant protection policy making and sustainable development.7-Conducting the plant protection role in the environment. 8- Dissemination and exploitation of research results. 9- Increasing the scientific level of staff collection. Meanwhile, PPDRI has conducted an interesting Study of Mosses as Indicators of Atmospheric and Substrata Pollutions in the Caspian Provinces of Iran whose abstract could be viewed on our website. For more information, please visit PPDRI’s website at http://www.ppdri.ac.ir. Plant Pests and Diseases Research Institute, Tehran, Iran 2005 May General News H8k/3nLRnYDi/KiKen0m+3WMTOo= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=5">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> May-2005 :EIA Meeting, Baku, April 4th and 5th, 2005 www.CaspianEnvironment.org 5 Awareness Raising and Capacity Building Workshop for “Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context in the Caspian Sea Region”, was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, 4 -5 April 2005. The workshop was organized by the UNEP Regional Office for Europe and Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, in collaboration with the Caspian Environment Programme and the Secretariat of the Espoo Convention, UNECE. The workshop involved a broad range of stakeholders, including representatives from Government authorities, local coastal and environmental authorities, industry and NGOs. The workshop was the first of a series of national workshops to implement transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment throughout the five littoral states of the Caspian Sea Region. It was organized in the context of UNEP Regional Office for Europe’s capacity building program under the Second Phase of the Global Environment Facility (‘GEF’) project, entitled ‘Towards a Convention and Action Programme for the Protection of the Caspian Sea Environment'. This Phase will build upon the results of the First Phase of the GEF project, which include the development of a set of Guidelines that consist of a set of step-by-step procedures to implement transboundary EIA in the Caspian Sea region. The objectives of the workshop included awareness raising and the strengthening of local institutional capacity. The workshop aimed to promote and encourage a greater understanding of the national procedures for the implementation of the transboundary EIA and of the roles of actors in the transboundary EIA process. It also aimed to open communication channels and promote greater coordination and understanding between government agencies and stakeholders involved in transboundary EIA. EIA Meeting, Baku, April 4th and 5th, 2005 2005 May Since we last met dUvktiG6U0dD4o02X3ngpzbisIs= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=5">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> May-2005 :Regional Caspian Environment Journalism Workshop, Baku, April 5th-8th, 2005 www.CaspianEnvironment.org 5 In line with the provision of the GEF II Project Document and in collaboration with UNEP, Caspian Environment Programme held a “Regional Caspian Environment Journalism Workshop” from 5th to 8th April 2005 in Baku – Azerbaijan Republic. The objectives of the workshop were: • Provide an overview of Caspian environmental issues from a scientific, environmental and political perspective; • Introduce the participants to one or two specific Caspian environmental issues that they will investigate and write articles about for publication; and • Provide an opportunity for Caspian region journalists to work side by side with senior environmental reporters from outside the region. • Network Caspian journalists with one another and with international journalists. The ultimate goal of the workshop was to provide hands-on skills for reporters from the littoral countries. Development of environmental news stories for publishing in the national, local and international media was the outcome of the workshop. The participants of the journalism workshop visited several sites and met with the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan Republic, Mr. Goussein Bagirov and World Bank Country Manager, Mr. Ahmed Jehani Regional Caspian Environment Journalism Workshop, Baku, April 5th-8th, 2005 2005 May Since we last met td0Hhy3kc3PkMcURuhj0/VQ+wkQ= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=5">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> May-2005 :Second Meeting of the Biodiversity and Invasive Species Advisory Group (BISRAG) www.CaspianEnvironment.org 5 Second Meeting of the Biodiversity and Invasive Species Advisory Group (BISRAG) Almaty, Kazakhstan, 25th-26th April, 2005 The objectives of the Second Meeting of BISRAG was to discuss the status of CEP activities on Biodiversity and biodiversity work-plan; establishment of EcoNet for Caspian Region; information, monitoring and protection of Caspian habitats and species, the status of the Caspian Seal Survey and draft of a Caspian Seal Action Plan (CSAP). The outputs of this meeting were the draft of Caspian Seal Action Plan; an agreement on roadmap for establishment of EcoNet; identification of data sources and biodiversity indicators for monitoring as well as an agreement on the biodiversity work-plan. Second Meeting of the Biodiversity and Invasive Species Advisory Group (BISRAG) 2005 May Since we last met 1v0mmORFUNz+y145qGzw6Dp7Vxg= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=5">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> May-2005 :Second Meeting on the Biodiversity Protocol www.CaspianEnvironment.org 5 Second Meeting on the Biodiversity Protocol to the Framework Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea, Almaty, Kazakhstan, 27th- 29th April, 2005 The Second Meeting of Government-designated experts on the Biodiversity Protocol to the Framework Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea was held in Almaty from 27th to 29th April, 2005. The first draft of the Biodiversity Protocol to the Framework Convention on the Protection of the Caspian Marine Environment was presented and discussed by the experts of the Caspian littoral countries. Second Meeting on the Biodiversity Protocol 2005 May Since we last met XFsTk7VLUYmd9JNFlhvAdeq3hMw= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=6">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> June-2005 :International Conference on Rapid Sea Level Changes, a Caspian Perspective, 2-9 May 2005, Rasht, I.R www.CaspianEnvironment.org 6 This conference was sponsored by three international programmes all dealing with environmental changes and human responses to them namely, UNESCO, IUGS the International Union of Geological Sciences and ICSU International union of Sciences. Other Sponsors included Guilan University, Iranian National Center for Oceanography, Geological Survey of Iran and SHELL International Exploration and Production B.V. The aims of this meeting were to bring together scientists working on global sea-level change, rapid sea/lake change, not only in the Caspian but also in other closed basins, to discuss the origin of sea and lake change, its steering mechanisms, its synchronicity (or not) with global climate change and tectonic processes, its consequences for environment and coastal management, its impact on human society and human responses. For more information, please visit its website, http://www.caspiansealevelchange.org International Conference on Rapid Sea Level Changes, a Caspian Perspective, 2-9 May 2005, Rasht, I.R 2005 June Since we last met 3whd4lRWsmqB0/lm7I+KcU3jzeM= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=6">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> June-2005 :International Sturgeon Symposium, 9-13 May 2005, Ramsar, I.R. Iran www.CaspianEnvironment.org 6 The 5th International Symposium on Sturgeons (ISS) was held May 9 to 13, 2005 near the shores of the Caspian Sea at the Ramsar Parsian Hotel, Ramsar, Iran. The Symposium was organized in close cooperation with the World Sturgeon Conservation Society (WSCS), the future home of subsequent ISS events. The occasion continued the highly successful series of Symposia that have brought together scientists and students of various disciplines (general biology, ecology, physiology, genetics) regulatory and enforcement authorities, fishermen and fisheries managers, aquaculturists, producers and traders of fishery products as well as environmentalists and conservationists. The Symposium placeed special emphasis on the most recent developments in science, technology and management related to sturgeon stock status in various global ecosystems (in particular in enclosed seas), sturgeon habitat requirements and restoration strategies as well as on conservation programmes and policies. Further, number important practical subjects were covered including: Modern approaches in sturgeon aquaculture: Broodstock handling and management; selection for culture and stock enhancement; hatchery design and operation; nutrition studies for various sturgeon species; analysis of production systems such as pond culture and recirculation technology. Caspian Environment Programme actively participated in this event and in addition to the first day presentation of CEP expert on Caspian biodiversity, an exhibition booth was established for the duration of the symposium in the same venue and information about the Caspian and CEP activities including the Matched Small Grant Programme were provided to the participants. The symposium was concluded with a declaration. For more information, please visit the ISS 5 website http://www.iss5.org . International Sturgeon Symposium, 9-13 May 2005, Ramsar, I.R. Iran 2005 June Since we last met F2PzpdQiXgbCKO7Bav6HPUireD8= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=6">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> June-2005 :Oil Spill Preparedness Workshop for the Caspian Region, 10-12 May 2005, Baku www.CaspianEnvironment.org 6 This regional oil spill preparedness workshop was held to maintain momentum with the development of regional cooperation. It is understood that progress with the adoption/ratification of the Framework Convention indicates that the Emergency Protocol hopefully will be signed in 2005, bringing the Caspian Sea Regional Plan on Cooperation in Cases of Major Oil Spill into operational effectiveness. The workshop targeted the operational use and function of this Regional Plan. The key objectives were: 1-Structure the workshop around potential transboundary scenarios and ‘walk through’ how incidents would unfold, focussing on the roll of regional cooperation. 2- Increase knowledge of the detailed content of the regional plan amongst operational staff (those who would be using the document’s procedures in cases of major incident). 3- Identify any barriers to effective use of the regional plan. 4- Incorporate some basic technical elements of oil spill response into scenarios. 5- Discuss practical and equitable mechanisms for robust and sustainable tiered response capability based on risk assessments. 6- Raise Government personnel’s awareness of OSPRI oil spill contingency planning in the region, particularly how ‘tier 3’ capability can integrate with Governments’ regional cooperation mechanisms. 7- Identify potential areas where national plans can be developed further to strengthen the regional framework and 8- Discuss future Governmental institutional arrangements for regional coordination. Relevant government representatives from the Caspian littoral States, CEP Programme Coordination Unit, IMO and other inter-governmental organization (e.g. UNDP, UNEP), Oil Spill Preparedness Regional Initiative - OSPRI (affiliated to IPIECA), Relevant oil spill service providers/contractors and Lending institutions participated in this workshop. Oil Spill Preparedness Workshop for the Caspian Region, 10-12 May 2005, Baku 2005 June Since we last met 9TxSNg4cdQStU95zajBfmSjZH3Y= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=6">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> June-2005 :2nd Meeting of LBS Protocol, 20-22 May 2005, Ashgabat www.CaspianEnvironment.org 6 The Second meeting of the Government designated Experts was held in Ashgabad, Turkmenistan, on 20-22 May 2005 for reading and reviewing of the revised first Draft of the Protocol, which was redrafted through taking proper account of the deliberations and agreed changes and amendments to the provisions discussed and approved at the first meeting. The First meeting of Government designated experts on the Draft Protocol for the protection of the Caspian Sea against pollution from land-based sources and activities to the Framework Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea was held in Ashgabad, Turkmenistan on 24-25 January 2005, in which the Government Experts completed their first reading of the Preamble and articles 1 to 8 of the Draft Protocol. 2nd Meeting of LBS Protocol, 20-22 May 2005, Ashgabat 2005 June Since we last met zHQC4jDsbtAKbmgcJen8AnnxS9o= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=6">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> June-2005 :Sustainable Coastal Development RAG Meeting, 23-24 May 2005, Ashgabat www.CaspianEnvironment.org 6 The second meeting of the Sustainable Coastal Area Development Regional Advisory Group (SCADRAG) was held on May 23-24, 2005 in Ashgabat. This meeting was organized by the EU/Tacis supported Sustainable Development of Coastal Communities Project and the project consultant IMC. This meeting dovetailed the 2nd meeting of the Land Based Sources of Pollution Protocol which was held on May 20 thru 22nd in Ashgabat under the stewardship of the UNEP thus allowed those participants who attended both meetings to stay on and continue work uninterrupted. The objectives of the SCADRAG meeting were: Providing the RAG members with an opportunity to review the SAP progress with regards to the activities related to the sustainable development of coastal areas in general and the progress made under the EU/Tacis supported project in particular with a view to recommend follow up activities; Discussing the working arrangements for the RAG with a view to formulate recommendations to modify and /or improve the RAG TOR; and Discussing other issues on interest to the SCADRAG. Sustainable Coastal Development RAG Meeting, 23-24 May 2005, Ashgabat 2005 June Since we last met fsOBJxKLd7BUFAS72RFJr4/socw= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=6">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> June-2005 :Scientific Sea Cruise 2005 www.CaspianEnvironment.org 6 The Scientific Sea Cruise planned for summer of 2005 (SSC-2005) is a major activity of CEP in 2005 addressed to assessing impacts of key trans-boundary contaminants in water and sediments all over the Caspian coastal waters. SSC-2005 was initiated at the 2nd meeting of the Pollution Regional Advisory Group, which took place in Tehran, I.R. Iran, on February 6/7 2005. Cruise is being undertaken as a continuation of work from the first GEF CEP project. Based on countries proposals, CEP Program Coordination Unit elaborated timeline for the SSC-2005, which has been coordinated with CEP National Focal Points in Caspian littoral states. The cruise will be carried out in period second half of July 2005 – August 2005. It will consist of several legs at different research vessels to cover coastal waters of all Caspian littoral states. The scientific team of cruise will include representatives of all Caspian countries and representatives of international organizations such as Marine Environment Laboratory, IAEA, Monaco and CEP PCU. Upon finishing the field works collected samples of sediments will be analyzed in national laboratories which are now completing the proficiency tests. Limited number of samples will be analyzed by MEL IAIE for cross-checking. The final cruise report will be presented at the end of 2005 at the regional meeting. Scientific Sea Cruise 2005 2005 June Up Comming z69AznTKLMdLb9mFBmJjW1t9KVM= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=6">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> June-2005 :Determination of Contaminant Flux of Kura River www.CaspianEnvironment.org 6 A project for determination of contaminant flux of Kura River to the Caspian Sea is underway. In June 2005, the sampling along the river down to Kura Delta will be made by Azerbaijanian experts for determination of Persistent Toxic Substances (PTS). The sample will be analyzed by one of the Azeri analytical lab. Meanwhile duplicated sample will be analyzed by another qualified analytical laboratory too. Determination of Contaminant Flux of Kura River 2005 June Up Comming QV0C+aV26u5GfNGkH4qOTtnoOTs= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=6">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> June-2005 :World Bank Loan for Management of Iranian Scarce Water Resources www.CaspianEnvironment.org 6 May 27th, 2005 (World Bank Washington) - The World Bank yesterday approved a total of $344 million in loans for two projects that support the Government of Iran in delivering a clean and reliable water supply and sanitation to poor urban neighborhoods and boosting agricultural productivity in farming communities with improved irrigation systems. The Northern Cities Water Supply and Sanitation Project ($224 million) is part of a long-term plan to extend water supply and wastewater collection and disposal systems in Rasht, Babol, Sari and Anzali to ensure residents have reliable supply of water. The Alborz Integrated Land and Water Management Project ($120 million) will pilot a holistic approach to managing land and water resources at the river basin level in the province of Mazandaran along the Caspian Sea. This project will modernize irrigation and drainage systems and involve farmers in decision-making on water allocation and management by creating Basin Water Councils and Water Users Associations. It will also introduce community-based land and water conservation to reduce soil erosion and protect water quality, particularly in poor communities.Both projects place people and local institutions at the heart of water resource management and delivery of clean and safe water, says Joseph Saba, World Bank Country Director for Iran. For information on the World Bank activities in Iran, please visit: http://www.worldbank.org/ir World Bank Loan for Management of Iranian Scarce Water Resources 2005 June General News VoDq3x/08090S1GIUxFzm43Roww= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=6">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> June-2005 :Iran, Against Militarization of Caspian Sea www.CaspianEnvironment.org 6 May 16th, 2006 (IRNA) -Iran's special representative for the Caspian Sea Affairs Mehdi Safari, speaking in Tehran on Monday, expressed opposition to militarization of the Caspian Sea and transfer of pipelines through the sea. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the 17th meeting of the Caspian Sea working group on legal status of the Sea, Safari said completion of the Caspian Sea legal regime is a long-term process. "We try to reach results in the earliest time and codify an appropriate legal regime for the Caspian Sea to prepare ground for the littoral states to make use of its resources," he said. "The Islamic Republic has proposed the convention of confidence-building and stability in the region to the Caspian Sea littoral states." Iran, Russia and Kazakhstan are against presence of third forces in the sea, said the Iranian regime for the Caspian Sea to prepare ground for the littoral states to make use of its resources," he said. Iran stressed fair division of the Caspian Sea, Safari said, adding Iran regards a 20 percent share for itself. "We are negotiating with neighboring states and reached almost good agreements with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan," he stated. Iran, Against Militarization of Caspian Sea 2005 June General News epNHZP0n9yGUzEodNLPHD91TAtY= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=6">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> June-2005 :Caspian Status Must be Settled without outside Interference www.CaspianEnvironment.org 6 May 24th, 2005 (Itar-Tass) - Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said the five littoral states should settle the issue of the legal status of the Caspian Sea "on their own, without interference by third countries." Nazarbayev made the statement at a news conference in Baku on Tuesday, after his talks with the Azerbaijani president. "These are our interests, our sea. It should become a sea of friendship, cooperation and trade," he said. Having expressed confidence that both Iran and Turkmenistan are interested in such an approach, he noted proximity of the positions of Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan in matters of the middle line of the national sectors, shoaling waters and open sea. Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev believes that the agreements between Azerbaijan, Russia and Kazakhstan are "a good basis" for a comprehensive settlement of the legal status of the Caspian Sea. "Billions of dollars have already been invested, the development of oil fields is underway, and infrastructure is being created for fuel transportation," Aliyev said. "We wish the Caspian problem to find its legal solution, so that all disputes here be resolved, and the Caspian Sea become a sea of cooperation, peace and security," Azerbaijan's president said. Caspian Status Must be Settled without outside Interference 2005 June General News s0OZLCTNRtIu+chu+FMWl44rfIo= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=6">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> June-2005 :Alarming Increase in Caspian Sea Level www.CaspianEnvironment.org 6 May 5th, 2005 (Iran Daily) - Caspian Sea level has risen by 2.5 meters since 1970, vice chancellor of Gilan University for research affairs said, IRNA quoted. Speaking on the sidelines of the Third Conference on Rapid Sea Level Changes, a Caspian Perspective, May 2-9 in Rasht, Nader Narimanzadeh added that Caspian Sea undergoes more changes compared to other seas and oceans in terms of water level, hydrologic and hydro-chemical characteristics. He noted the sea level has risen between 14 and 20 centimeters annually over the past 20 years, while similar changes in other seas and oceans would take a minimum 100 years. Narimanzadeh said Caspian Sea is a natural laboratory for scientists, noting that presently three projects on rapid changes of sea water levels, particularly in the Caspian sea, are being conducted by the Netherlands’ Delft University of Technology and UK’s Bronlen University and Germany’s Meteorological Institute (MIHU)--and with the financial support of United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).Based on research conducted by Professor K. Arpe from Germany’s MIHU, Caspian sea level would increase by another two meters by 2075, he recalled, citing global warming, rise in precipitation level and increase in rivers’ inflow, particularly through Volga River, within the next 70 years as prominent factors behind the surge. Commenting on the satiation of Gilan coastlines in case of further increase in sea level, Narimanzadeh said, “Everything will depend on the slope of coastal areas--the less steep the land, the heavier the damage.“ Stretched over an area of 371,000 square kilometers, Caspian Sea contains about 78,000 cubic kilometers of water. Alarming Increase in Caspian Sea Level 2005 June General News vMzahBpIiMc2q2dbfa5UZFDAeUw= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=6">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> June-2005 :Caspian Accord in Sight www.CaspianEnvironment.org 6 May 17th, 2005 (Iran Daily) - Iran and other Caspian Sea littoral states are in the final stage of a long-running dispute over the sea’s geographical division and resource sharing. Iran’s Special Envoy for Caspian Affairs Mehdi Safari announced on Tuesday that breakthroughs were made in talks between members of a working group devising a Caspian legal regime convention. Safari said 75 percent of issues have already been settled, noting that the remaining 25 percent contain matters of high importance for all sides. “Reaching a final agreement could not happen immediately and by holding periodic sessions but requires regular and intense meetings”, he said. Safari noted that all the littoral countries are interested in wrapping up the matter as soon as possible. On Iran’s share, he said Tehran has time and again insisted on an equal and fair division of the Caspian Sea. “Iran has held constructive talks with Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, and we plan to hold more meetings along the same line”, he said. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the 17th meeting of the Caspian Sea working group on the sea’s legal regime, Safari said completion of the Caspian Sea legal regime is a long process. “The Islamic Republic has proposed the convention for confidence-building and stability in the region to the Caspian Sea littoral states”, he said. The working group convened in Tehran on Monday in the presence of Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi and the special representatives of Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. Caspian Accord in Sight 2005 June General News X3TOwbfDC1ddfL7sY32a01eCu7M= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=6">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> June-2005 :Illegal caviar flooding market www.CaspianEnvironment.org 6 May 6th, 2005 (Associated Press) - In a busy San Francisco delicatessen that caters to Eastern European immigrants and city dwellers craving ethnic food, customers snapped up caviar for as much as $240 a pound. Yet this caviar came not from Russia's Caspian Sea, but from the nearby Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, where authorities say poachers illegally sold roe and flesh from rare white sturgeon, the largest freshwater fish in North America. Trailed early Thursday by news cameras, state game wardens arrested Mark Golmyan, 54, owner of the Gastronom Russian Deli along with four San Francisco residents accused of buying the caviar for up to $140 a pound and then selling it to Bay Area residents. Department of Fish and Game officials said Nikolay Krasnodemskiy, 34, prepared the caviar in two auto body shops in an industrial area north of Sacramento before sending it to San Francisco. Fish and Game officials courted the media attention to highlight a growing problem endangering sturgeon populations. The bony, bottom-feeding fish have been described as living fossils that have changed little since the days of dinosaurs. Demand and prices for American-raised caviar soared when the Russian sturgeon fishery collapsed after the fall of the former Soviet Union. Wildlife organizations warned two years ago that U.S. sturgeon and paddlefish populations can't sustain an increase in legal and illegal fishing. California bans the commercial catch or sale of white sturgeon and severely restricts sport fishing for the species. Poaching is particularly disastrous for the species because female sturgeon only spawns every four years, and it takes years to reach reproductive age. White sturgeons are found only in the Sacramento River and Washington's Columbia River. They can live 100 years and grow to 1,000 pounds. The population was nearly wiped out in both rivers during western expansion more than a century ago, leading to a ban on sturgeon fishing in California between 1916 and 1955. Sport fishermen are now allowed to catch one sturgeon per day. Illegal caviar flooding market 2005 June General News CYgqAQo5VuSLmBo906BSkgA30QY= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=6">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> June-2005 :Iran, Azerbaijan call for expansion of defense cooperation www.CaspianEnvironment.org 6 May 16th, 2005 (Baku Today Net) Tehran - Visiting Azeri Defense Minister Safar Abiyev conferred here Saturday with his Iranian counterpart Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani on expansion of defense and military cooperation between the two countries. Abiyev's visit is taking place at the invitation of his Iranian counterpart. At the meeting, the two sides called for implementation of already signed agreements between the two countries. According to Public Relations Department of Defense Ministry, the first round of official talks between the two ministers kicked off Saturday afternoon. Restoration of peace and stability in the region depends on adoption of independent defense and security policies by the countries in the region, underlined the two ministers. Highlighting the two sides' deeply rooted cultural, historical and religious ties, Shamkhani said this has led to further expansion of defense and military cooperation between the two countries. "Our defense and military cooperation is not against any third country," Shamkhani said adding that no country can affect such cooperation." On issues pertaining to the Caspian Sea, he said, the Islamic Republic of Iran considers the Caspian Sea as the sea of friendship and peace and is of the opinion that restoration of durable peace and stability requires collective cooperation, mutual trust and avoidance of arms race. The Azeri minister, for his part, referred to exchange of visits between the two sides' officials as well as the recent visit by Rear Admiral Shamkhani to Azerbaijan and said the officials from both sides are determined to further broaden mutual defense and military cooperation. Iran, Azerbaijan call for expansion of defense cooperation 2005 June General News Wd4AYSOofnKv5OhzpnY9/8R+fE4= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=6">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> June-2005 :Kazakhstan Plans New Sea Port for Kashagan Oil www.CaspianEnvironment.org 6 May 13th, 2005 (RIGZONE) - According to the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Mr. Danyal Akhmetov, speaking after a Government session last week, the republic is to develop its port capacity on the Caspian Sea to handle increased volumes of oil output: "The Government embraces the idea of the development of the Aktau-based seaport. Further development of the CPC [Caspian Pipeline Consortium] is getting fraught with certain complications; and therefore development of our maritime infrastructure is to be intensified. A decision needs to be made to allow the government to have a number of infrastructure facilities constructed in this part of the shoreline within several years' time." In fact, beyond the development of the Aktau sea port, the Government has approved a proposal presented by KazMunaiGas, the state-owned national oil company, to construct a sea port at the town of Kuryk. Kuryk is presently a small town with a population of 4,800. The site, 76 kilometers south of the country's main seaport of Aktau, is already a natural harbor. According to Uzakbai Karabalin, President of KazMunaiGas, the state-owned oil and gas company, Kazakhstan intends to link-up to the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline through this new port. Thus, once the Kuryk port completed, oil from Kazakhstan's Kashagan field would then flow from Aktau to Kuryk for shipment across the Caspian Sea to Baku and the BTC. Moreover, with the national rail company, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, and the country's Transport Ministry are planning to construct a railway connecting Kuryk to the country's main rail infrastructure, including the planned Trans-Asian which will run from China into Europe and offer an alternative to the Trans-Siberian. This new port and the connection to the BTC solves one of Kazakhstan's major problems in exporting its oil. The Caspian Sea, being an inland sea, does not extricate Kazakhstan from its land-locked state. The extra costs implied in transporting oil via rail or the construction of new pipelines will be offset by this connection to the BTC. At present, 8 million tonnes of Kazakh oil (total yearly production is in the 40-45 million tonnes per year) transits via the Caspian. This total is predicted to reach 38 million tonnes per year by 2016. The Kuryk seaport is expected to be operational by the time the Kashagan oilfield goes into production by 2007-2008. Kuryk is also to handle dry cargo as well as oil Kazakhstan Plans New Sea Port for Kashagan Oil 2005 June General News Bk6aW/gsFnkHpJ0YnUsCnqxaLi0= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=6">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> June-2005 :Vodka and Caviar: Traditional Russian Exports www.CaspianEnvironment.org 6 May 16th, 2005 (Novosti) Moscow- Although the sales of vodka and caviar may not look quite so impressive when compared with Russia's main export item - crude oil - they do have loyal followings in many countries. According to data published by the Russian Alcohol Association, vodka exports in 2003 were worth $56.2 million, but dropped to $46.4 million in 2004. However, it does not mean that foreigners are consuming less Russian-made vodka. So, despite the differences in the figures, the real export volumes are stable. Experts believe 2-3% of all the vodka produced in Russia every year goes abroad. Another traditional Russian specialty - caviar - takes a somewhat "complicated" route to foreign markets. According to official estimates, legal sales of caviar in the world reach $100 million a year, with 80% in America, and the remaining 20% around the rest of the world. The figure can hardly be called outstanding. Meanwhile, illegal sales of caviar produced mainly in the Caspian region exceed $1 billion per year. Jim Armstrong, the deputy secretary general of the UN Agency for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), says that there is so much poaching in Russia that quotas cannot hope to restrict the real volume of catches. For that reason, CITES officials repeatedly forced countries in the Caspian region to cut caviar exports on several occasions in a bid to preserve the population of rare varieties of sturgeon. As a result, Russia will be able to export no more than 30 metric tons of caviar this year worth $10-20 million. Once again the CITES demanded that Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Iran suspend exports of caviar until these producer countries started to observe the convention on protection of sturgeon populations. Nevertheless, even if these countries suspend their exports, caviar will not disappear from the counters because entrepreneurs in many countries are attempting to develop sturgeon breeding and, therefore, create their own sources of caviar production. For instance, the French have managed to breed Siberian sturgeon at lake farms in Aquitania and French-made caviar now has a 10% share of the domestic market and is already being produced for export. When Russia’s Federal Agency of Fishing (FAF) officials made sample purchases of caviar at Moscow supermarkets, it turned out that eight out of ten cans contained poor imitations of the celebrated real thing. For a number of years, the main suppliers of "Russian caviar" on foreign markets were not Russian. Aside from Iranian caviar, the markets are filled with caviar from Azerbaijan and even Turkey, Switzerland and the Czech Republic, i.e., countries that do not breed sturgeon at all. This is probably why the White House was forced to abandon attempts to ban caviar imports completely. The right to sell caviar on internal markets will be given to suppliers that can provide guarantees that sturgeon populations in the Caspian region will be maintained. The importers will have a six-month period to provide information on limitations on catches of sturgeon varieties and specific plans on how sturgeon populations can be replenished. Vodka and Caviar: Traditional Russian Exports 2005 June General News M9SYoXAYH8V7+vLfetnCvxUuqo4= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=6">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> June-2005 :Pay Disparity on Rice Paddies www.CaspianEnvironment.org 6 May 9th, 2005 (Iran Daily) - Women comprise 65 percent of the workforce involved in agriculture in Mazandaran, Sorayya Yasari in charge of rural women affairs at the provincial Agriculture Jihad said. Yasari in an interview with IRNA added, “Women provide a source of cheap labor for rice cultivation which is the main agricultural activity in the province. “Referring to the pay disparity between men and women laborers working in paddies, she added, “Employers prefer to hire women due to their low wages.” Women working in equal conditions on paddy fields earn two-thirds less than male workers. Touching upon health problems affecting women farmers, especially those involved in rice cultivation, the official referred to joint and parasitic diseases as well as premature oldness. “Women cultivators are deprived of any health insurance schemes. Some have resorted to self-insurance”, she added. “Agriculture and food processing industries need to be established to improve women’s working conditions. Working environments in factories can be standardized to suit women’s conditions and reduce their burden.” Rice paddies cover 230,000 hectares of land in the northern Caspian province of Mazandaran. Pay Disparity on Rice Paddies 2005 June General News J9aibt9RPlKiibKB9fef9qM4jI8= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=6">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> June-2005 :Delineation of Russian Frontiers at Sea is a Priority www.CaspianEnvironment.org 6 May 25th, 2005 (RIA Novosti) Moscow - To delineate maritime borders with the neighboring countries is among Russia's priorities, Sergei Lavrov, Foreign Minister, said in a contribution to the journal, "Vneshneekonomicheskie svyazi" (Foreign Economic Contacts). When the delineation is over, Russia will be able to determine the geographic limits of its sovereignty, jurisdiction and sovereign rights along its coasts, he stressed. As the result, littoral areas will receive explicit juridical arrangements to guarantee security and economic interests of Russia and its private and corporate persons, the minister went on. Russian-Norwegian negotiations have been on for several decades now to delineate the Barents Sea. There is a Russo-US agreement of 1990 on Bering Sea delineation. As for sea delineation with Japan, it will stay impossible until a treaty formalizes the frontier, he emphasized. Russia and Ukraine must bring to an end the bilateral negotiations on the water areas of the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov, and the Kerch Strait, which connects the two. Russo-Georgian negotiations to delineate Black Sea areas, in fact, have not yet started. Russo-Estonian sea delineation will come to its juridical conclusion after a treaty on continental shelf and economic zone delineation is signed, and enters into force. Last but not least, comes the determination of a new legal status of the Caspian. Though, strictly speaking, it concerns a lake not sea, the matter is prominent on the agenda. "Formally, we may be referring to delineation with the neighboring countries. Despite that, not division is our goal but coming at explicit legal conditions for mutually beneficial partnership with our closest neighbors," concluded the Foreign Minister. Delineation of Russian Frontiers at Sea is a Priority 2005 June General News Qcv6T+0C2pZKW+7qjlKSm1BdWGs= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=6">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> June-2005 :The First Artificial Island in Caspian Sea www.CaspianEnvironment.org 6 May 28th, 2005 (Iran Newspaper) – The first artificial island in the Caspian Sea will be built on the Iranian shorelines. The size of this artificial island would be 9 million square meters with large recreational and sport facilities, aqua-parks, aquariums, forest-parks, buildings, shops and restaurants for tourist attractions. The man-made embankment of the artificial island would be constructed on the seabed. The project proponent announced that the Environmental Impact Assessment of the project calls for elaborate and precise environmental studies, which would take at least two years. He envisioned that the implementation phase of the project requires 5 to 7 years. The First Artificial Island in Caspian Sea 2005 June General News qN1qD6lI74DILxdas74kI5FrOzk= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=6">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> June-2005 :Kazakh Parliament Approves New Law on Caspian Oil Projects www.CaspianEnvironment.org 6 May 18th, 2005 (Dow Jones Commodities Newswires) - Kazakhstan's parliament Wednesday approved a new law on production-sharing agreements for oil projects in the Caspian Sea, tailored with a view to the planned auctions of offshore oilfields. "The new law will regulate offshore oil operations, which are very capital and labor intensive," Member of Parliament Baibol Utepbayev told. Utepbayev said new legislation limits foreign participation to 50% in each project with no guarantees of operatorship. The other 50% is to belong to Kazakh state oil and natural gas company KazMunaiGaz (KMGZ.YY). He also said the new law envisages that only Kazmunaigas or the government will hold tenders among subcontractors within each project. In the case of commercial production, the new law also introduces mandatory oil supplies to local refineries. Utepbayev said the new rules won't affect existing contracts with oil companies and will guarantee the stability of previously reached agreements. Kazakhstan's government reportedly planned to start the licensing round for up to 200 exploration blocks in the Kazakh part of the divided Caspian in 2005-2006. Through the massive development of the Caspian Sea, Kazakhstan wants to triple its oil output by 2015 from the current level of 1 million barrels a day. Kazakh Parliament Approves New Law on Caspian Oil Projects 2005 June Since we last met qyqcozdclG0M/CV/6fyZdHi0IQc= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=6">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> June-2005 :Giant Caspian Oil Pipeline Opens www.CaspianEnvironment.org 6 May 25th, 2005 (BBC News) – Starting in Azerbaijan, the 1,600 km (1,000 mile pipeline will pass through Georgia to the Turkish port of Ceyhan. The project has taken more than 10 years to finish and will unlock one of the world's biggest energy reserves. Oil is set to flow from the Caspian Sea direct to the Mediterranean for the first time after a $3.6bn (£2bn) pipeline opened on Wednesday. It has not been without controversy, however, and there have been protests about the impact on the environment. Wednesday's inauguration at the Sangachal oil terminal near Baku was attended by presidents from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Turkey. The pipeline has been an international effort and was built by a consortium led by UK oil giant BP, which has a 30% stake. Other consortium members include Azerbaijan’s state oil company Socar, Amerada Hess, Conoco-Phillips, Eni, Inpex, Itochu, Statoil, Total, TPAO and Unocal. The Caspian area produces a high-quality light crude, but has suffered in the past because of the difficulty of getting its oil to consumers in Europe, the US, China and Japan. Until now, states in the region sent almost all of their oil via Russian pipelines. The Caspian project is not without risk, however, as the pipeline runs through the volatile Caucasus and will require constant surveillance to prevent it from attack, our correspondent said. Up to a million barrels a day will eventually be heading directly west, gushing underneath miles of rugged terrain. However, it will take several months merely to fill the pipeline, which has a capacity of 10 million barrels. The oil in the pipeline will initially come entirely from Azerbaijani fields, but Kazakhstan is expected to participate in the project before the end of the decade. Giant Caspian Oil Pipeline Opens 2005 June General News AjXVVFPR3ArqmNhPJfz7ZXuwGzI= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=9">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> September-2005 :Announcement for the New Round of Micro Environment Programme www.CaspianEnvironment.org 9 Caspian Environment Programme is pleased to announce the 3rd Round of Micro Environment Grants (MEG) Programme for the year 2005. MEG Programme aims to finance small-scale projects with a real impact to address urgent environmental problems through raising public awareness, knowledge and understanding. Projects in the Caspian Region of Azerbaijan, I.R. Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan will be supported by MEG. Grants may range from USD 500 to USD 3,000. Other funds from the applicant and/or other partners could also be used to implement the project; however it is not mandatory. Any group of people who has the capacity to raise public awareness or carry out small scale projects with a real impact is eligible. This includes Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), schools, community groups, specialist groups, associations, trade unions and others. For further information, please visit the CEP website http://www.caspianenvironment.org – Grant Section - MEGIII, or contact the Programme Coordinator Unit (PCU/MSGP) in Tehran, or the Matched Grants and Public Participation Advisors (MPPAs) in the Caspian countries. Information of the PCU-Tehran and MPPAs are available at flyer. MEGIII Applications are also available at application forms MEG III. The deadline for submission of the MEG Full Application is September 15, 2005. Announcement for the New Round of Micro Environment Programme 2005 September Since we last met 21zrpjkeFbeXiYAb4F4uVIEnTeg= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=9">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> September-2005 :Caspian Scientific Sea Cruise, summer & fall 2005 www.CaspianEnvironment.org 9 The Southern Leg of the SCC 2005 covering Iran and Turkmenistan has commenced on August 23rd 2005. Representatives from Azerbaijan, I.R. Iran, Russia and Turkmenistan, IAEA and CEP-SAP project are onboard. Kazakh’s representative could not take part due to illness. The Leg will take approximately ten days to complete. The objective of the Caspian Scientific Sea Cruise is to gain better knowledge on the status of persistent pollutants in the Caspian Sea. As a result, sediment and suspended particles samples are to be taken from the areas with the maximum depth of 100 meters throughout the Caspian Coastal areas. In this endeavor, not only the experts from the region, but also international experts will take part and on board training will be provided as well. It is hoped that the Central Leg covering Azerbaijan and the Northern Leg covering Russia and Kazakhstan will follow in near future. Caspian Scientific Sea Cruise, summer & fall 2005 2005 September Since we last met 4mJUJzG5Ut/tUYVxNYtPuzC0Uws= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=9">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> September-2005 :Volga Flux Study, summer 2005 www.CaspianEnvironment.org 9 Through a contract awarded to the State Oceanography Institute (SOI) of Russia, a study to assess the level of certain pollutants in Volga delta started. A Russian vessel leaving Makhachkala late August has started collecting samples in the delta, which will be analyzed later on. Volga Flux Study, summer 2005 2005 September Since we last met k4BE+IoBYwbrXXJVParmSU4c+MI= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=9">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> September-2005 :Regional Fisheries Escapement Survey, summer 2005 www.CaspianEnvironment.org 9 The Regional Fisheries Escapement Survey was a scientific endeavor to obtain one of the important factors for estimating the density of sturgeons with Trawl Method, which is called “Escape Coefficient”. In order to study the behavior of sturgeons in front of the trawl opening and calculate the Escape Coefficient, a special underwater camera was designed and installed on the vessel’s underwater trawl net and a 10-day cruise was carried out by Gilan Research Vessel in the Southern Caspian Sea from July 27th to August 8th 2005. The objective of this survey was to view samples from films of sturgeon escaping trawl net and review methodology and resulting estimates of escapement of sturgeons. Regional Fisheries Escapement Survey, summer 2005 2005 September Since we last met rHnRjrPwunqOwE3S8vrML81kNhk= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=9">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> September-2005 :Inter-Agency Agreement (IAA) between the CEP-SAP Project and IMO, September 8/9, Baku: www.CaspianEnvironment.org 9 An Inter-agency Agreement has been exchanged between the CEP-SAP project and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which provides for cooperation between the two with regards to the assessment of the extent of traffic of ship borne invasive species into and from the Caspian via the River Volga and undertaking of a pre-feasibility study into means and ways of controlling invasions at the port of entry. It is a small technical coordination meeting of the Technical Task Force (TTF) of the IAA which would discuss the implementation arrangement in Baku on 8th and 9th September 2005. Inter-Agency Agreement (IAA) between the CEP-SAP Project and IMO, September 8/9, Baku: 2005 September Up Comming i7m2RzYxN4loiOSQGPVhyBYZrdg= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=9">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> September-2005 :Emergency Response Protocol (ERP) Meeting, September 25/27, Tehran: www.CaspianEnvironment.org 9 This is the final meeting of the ERP and will be held at the PCU in Tehran with IMO, UNEP and OSPRI participation. At the last day of the Oil Spill Preparedness Workshop for the Caspian Region, held on May 10/12 in Baku with support from OSPRI , the participants recommended to have an additional regional meeting to ‘ bring the formulation of the of the ERP to a fruitful conclusion thus making it ready for regional approval’. The CEP-SAP project agreed to support this recommendation. The objective of the meeting, as stated above, is to discuss and agree on all the pending and bracketed text with the view to make same ready for agreement by the region, perhaps in conjunction with the first Conference of the Parties (COP) of the Tehran Convention. Emergency Response Protocol (ERP) Meeting, September 25/27, Tehran: 2005 September Up Comming cszBPynCAgDgiMhxsltbZ/JnYn0= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=9">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> September-2005 :Data and Information Management Regional Meeting, September 28/9, Tehran: www.CaspianEnvironment.org 9 This meeting will be held at the PCU in Tehran on data and information management in the Caspian region with the aim to take stock of environmental data and information collection and exchange in the Caspian countries with a view to explore means and ways to expedite and facilitate data and information sharing and exchange. It will be participated by littoral countries, WCMC, ECS and UNEP. The specific objectives of the meeting are to take stock of the status of data and information management within the CEP, discuss measure and options to update , improve and maintain the Caspian Sea Information System, discuss regional mechanisms to improve information communication and identify training needs in the filed of data and information management. Data and Information Management Regional Meeting, September 28/9, Tehran: 2005 September Up Comming JPKZLhzlnBzoRYFr8ubpwbTAuWs= <p> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/Index.asp?Year=2005&Month=9">View Bulletin</a> </p> <p>www.CaspianEnvironment.org</p> September-2005 :Caspian Needs Effective Pollution Controls www.CaspianEnvironment.org 9 August 4th, 2005 (Iran Daily) - Experts believe that the release of over one billion cubic meters of industrial, chemical, and household wastewater into the Caspian Sea per annum has polluted the water, and reduced the level of oxygen jeopardizing over 400 aquatic species including sturgeons. An expert with Gilan Oceanology and Climatology Center, Behzad Layeqi, told IRNA that oil excavation and extraction together with oil tankers traveling in the sea have increased the level of oil pollution in the world’s largest lake. “The water circulation in the Caspian Sea directs contaminations in the water toward Iranian shores, more than other places” he stated. “An increase in the number of coastal inhabitants is the main source of pollution, because the level of underground water is high and wastewater directly enters the sea.” Head of Iran Sturgoen International Research Institute, Mohammad Pourkazemi, said oil leakage into the sea can endanger the marine food circle and cut the fish reserves. He is of the opinion that preventing pollutants from entering the sea requires public efforts and collective collaboration of littoral states. Director of Bandar Anzali Department of Environment, Ataollah Taqvaei, also stated that every day tons of industrial and household sewage enter the Anzali Wetland via local rivers and flow toward the Caspian. Citing the Caspian Sea’s importance in terms of attracting tourists, providing rich protein sources, drawing local and migratory birds as well as providing a natural habitat for marine reproduction, he demanded that provincial authorities establish wastewater treatment plants in nearby cities as soon as possible. “Caspian pollution will endanger the health of aquatic creatures, inhabitants of coastal cities, tourists and swimmers,” he noted. Meanwhile, Bandar Anzali Governor, Seyyed Ali Aqazadeh, stated that a compost factory was being constructed