Lake Baikal – Buryatia and Irkutsk Region, Russia

November 2017

140 Nerpas were found dead on Lake Baikal, about 80 % of them pregnant. The causes of dying are being investigated. The Baikal Seal "Nerpa" is an endemic species on Lake Baikal and its landmark. Nature conservationists, residents and tourists at the lake are concerned and await the results of the expertise.

Decline of Omul population in Lake Baikal

Since October 1, 2017, strongest restrictions apply to fishing of Omul in Lake Baikal. Omul is a symbol fish for Lake Baikal, source of life for many locals, and an important touristic attraction in regional restaurants. During the last years, the Omul population has been rapidly declining.

The ban on Omul fishing aims at fish population recovery. At the same time, it is a controversial issue affecting indigenous people at Lake Baikal who depend on Omul in their everyday lives. The concerned area is the Chivyrkuisky Bay of Lake Baikal, as well as rivers flowing into it; the basin of the Barguzin River, the bays of Sor (Posolsky sor) and Sor-Cherkalovo (Istoksky sor) of Lake Baikal, and the Selenga River. No time limits are mentioned in the moratorium. At present, the Omul biomass in the lake accounts approximately 10,000 - 13,000 tons, the intact amount would be about 50,000 tons. The reasons for a population decline could be the overall environmental situation, the low water level in the basin of Lake Baikal observed in the last years, and poaching.

The current moratorium is not the first ban on fishing of Omul. Previously, the same step was taken in 1969: a 13-year moratorium led to an effective recovery of the fish stock.

The moratorium aroused lots of discussion, as experts differ in opinions whether it helps or could even result in increased poaching and illegal trading.

Lake Baikal is located in the south of Siberia, near the Russian- Mongolian border.

The species diversity in Lake Baikal is the highest among all the world''s lakes. About 2,500 different species of animals and 1,000 plants are recorded. In the Siberian taiga, in the pinewoods and lark woods you can find bears, wolves, lynxes and elks. The Baikal Seal (Pusa sibirica) is a unique kind of seal living exclusively in fresh water. There are also other endemic species - an example is the Golomyanka, a scaleless transparent fish possessing no swim bladder.

Lake Baikal is a lake of superlatives. At more than 25 million years old it is world’s oldest lake and with its maximum depth of 1,673 metres, Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world, and the largest freshwater lake in the world by volume. The lake is fed by more than 300 rivers and streams, the largest inflows are the rivers Upper Angara, Selenga and Bargusin. Angara is the only outflow in the south of the lake. Lake Baikal has 22 larger islands. The Olchon Island with a surface of 730 sq. km is the largest island in Lake Baikal.

Our partner is the nature protection association "Firn" and the Baikal Information Center GRAN in Ulan-Ude. Water pollution is the most urgent problem our partners are dealing with. The wastewater from a paper plant built in Baikalsk on the south shore of the lake in the 1960s was considered the major source to pollution in the lake since March 2009. Other major contributor to pollution is untreated industrial wastewater carried to the lake.

The collapse of the Soviet Union led to economic crisis and the people living near Lake Baikal, in their struggle of life, understandingly (but unsustainably) put aside the protection of nature and environment in favour of creating jobs. Over-fishing and uncontrolled hunting (e.g. hunting of seals) threaten the unique fauna of the region as well.

Other problems, our partners are focusing on, are the dissemination of ecological information and environmental education in the Baikal region.

At the end of 2008, the “Ecological Community Council” was founded, its primary option is the cooperation between the Office of Public Prosecutor and the NGOs in the sector of environmental protection. With the corporate implementation of federal and regional programmes, encroachments and ecological felonies should be prevented and therefore the conservation of the unique nature in the Baikal region should be ensured. FIRN is a member of the Ecological Community Council.

Together with both partner organisations, GNF is and was implementing the following projects

Why Nerpas are weeping (2013–2014)
Together we can do it! (2012–2013)
Project for the protection of the Baikal Seals "Nerpa in Focus"
Project of Development of Sustainable Tourism (2008–2010)
Project "Integration of Youths into a Sustainable Development and Conservation of the Heritage in the Barguzin River Valley in the Baikal Region" (2007–2009)
Barn-Swallow Project (2004)

Further information about each project you find under the separate project webpage.

Ecotourism association (BETA) formed in Buryatia by GRAN

In Buryata, the number of private initiatives aiming at promoting nature and ecotourism increases steadily. To pool and bring forward their activities, GRAN has formed the ecotourism association BETA in autumn 2010. To date, private initiatives do not benefit from state funding for the creation and marketing of eco-tourism activities.

In October 2010, GRAN presented the eco-tourism project in the Oka region to the parliament of Buryatia, and it was received with great interest.

The successful development of ecotourism can provide an important alternative to the planned intensive tourism activities at Lake Baikal and in the catchment area. Ecotourism is an alternative source of income for the local inhabitants demonstrating the economic value of nature and culture.

More information about Lake Baikal

Detailed Data

December 2013

The toolkit for school chldren "Baikal Box" was announced as the best book in the Republic of Buryatia.

Lake Bakal in the schools of Burjatia

In December 2012, the Living Lakes partner GRAN presented a collection of study material on Lake Baikal for use by school children aged ten to fourteen to broaden their knowledge and understanding of Lake Baikal, its ecological and cultural importance. The toolkit contains information, pictures, quiz questions and other interactive elements. The Baikal seal as a sympathetic mascot guides the reader through the diverse chapters. Game cards with questions on the animal and plant species and other interesting features as well as a big coloured map of Lake Baikal complement the education material.

Within the scope of a practical test, GRAN will distribute 1,000 copies among four schools, libraries and environmental organisations in Burjatia. If there is positive feedback, all school classes in Burjatia (for children aged 10 to 14) will receive a copy. It is planned to prepare an English version of the teaching material. The material was financed by UNEP and CocaCola.