President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has instructed the government to study the issue of the sharp increase in the saiga antelope population.
According to the press service of Akorda, the Head of State noted that there have been an increasing number of appeals related to saiga antelopes recently.
“In 2019, on my initiative, legislative measures were adopted aimed at toughening penalties for poaching. Thanks to this and other comprehensive efforts, the saiga antelope population in the country has increased sharply. That is, there is now no threat to their population as there was before. At the same time, other problems have arisen,” the statement said.
According to the President, the sharp increase in the saiga antelope population is now harming agriculture, increasing the risks of an epizootic situation, and putting greater strain on the ecosystem.
“I instruct the government to comprehensively study the issue with the participation of relevant specialists and make a balanced decision,” Tokayev stated.
At the same time, the Head of State reported that work has begun in the country to restore the population of the Caspian tiger in the Balkhash region. Following this, the priority direction remains the conservation and increase of the number of snow leopards.
Recall that earlier in the Karaganda Region and the Ulytau Region, dozens of saiga antelope carcasses were discovered, which caused serious concern among animal rights activists. Despite the alarming picture, experts noted that what is happening is part of the natural process of selection in the steppe antelope population.