Last week, Lenie ‘t Hart and biologist Diederik van Liere made a journey along the Caspian Sea coast in Iran. The SRRC has been asked to join in the research on the jellyfish that has been posing a threat to indigenous fauna, under which the Caspian seal (an endangered species) and the sturgeon. The SRRC has been asked to examine whether the techniques that will be used to fight the jellyfish might have an adverse effect on seal and bird behaviour in the Gorgan Bay area (the area bordering on Turkmenistan).
The aim of this initial visit to the area was to make contact with local fishermen and to make further agreements with Iranian researchers about the course of action. Much to Lenie’s delight, a Caspian seal came right up to her boat, which was one of the few seals she had never seen in the wild before.
In addition, a Memorandum Of Understanding has been entered into with an Iranian research institute for the possible set up of a seal rehabilitation, information and research centre and the coordination of seal-stranding along the Caspian sea coast in the north and along the Persian coast in southern Iran.
Two young Iranian vets will be able to start work on the project immediately. We will pass the necessary expertise on to workers of the Iranian institute. Along with Dolfinarium Harderwijk’s managing director we will also study the possibility of a dolphin rehabilitation centre along the Persian coast as dolphins are regularly found stranded there. Soon, the Dolfinarium Harderwijk’s managing director, Teun Dokter, and SRRC’s managing director, Lenie ‘t Hart, will travel to Kish Island in the Persian Gulf for further talks and to pass on our Dutch expertise.
It is great that the people in Iran are so enthusiastic and so willing to do something for the endangered Caspian seal and the Dolphins in the Persian Gulf.
04-26-2008 Source: SRRC Lenie 't Hart
