On August 10, the 27th sitting of the Commission on water biological resources of the Caspian Sea held in Ashgabat was closed. Summing up the negotiations the representatives of the countries of the Caspian region including the leading specialists of nature conservation departments, scientists, jurists, international and national experts approved and signed the relevant Protocol.

The document envisages the participants’ initiatives concerning preparation of draft Agreement on increasing the legal status of the Commission on monitoring fishing industry in Caspian Sea water area. In the nearest future the project will be submitted to the countries, members of the Commission for their consideration and confirmation. It was decided to develop new method of distributing sturgeon fishing quota among the countries of the region including two new aspects aimed at struggling against poaching and marine pollution. The participants of the meeting determined the key aspects of joint research works, the issues of studying biological resources of the Caspian Sea, assessment of its natural reserves and conducting the relevant campaigns on preserving the biological diversity of the unique natural water reservoir. The Protocol reflects the various aspects of co-operation of the countries’ fishing structures united by common water ecological space and offers the recommendations on solving the main problems and the plans on developing co-operation within the next few years.

The participants of the meeting held in Ashgabat agreed to share the statistical information based on which the national experts would study the marine environment condition. Within the frameworks of the joint projects the scientific researches aimed at analyzing the forage resources for breeding sturgeon in the Caspian Sea are to be held. During the meeting the other important issues were discussed.

While implementing the long-term purposeful ecological policy Turkmenistan considerably contributes to preservation of the unique ecological system of the Caspian Sea and sturgeon breeding. At present the modern artificial sturgeon breeding complex is under construction on the Caspian Sea cost. Our country constantly replenishes the fish fleet, modernizes the base and develops the infrastructure of the fishing industry.

According to the participants of the sitting the conference will serve as an efficient step for developing the universal model of co-operation in the interest of all countries of the Caspian Region and the main aims of global development.