Finally, it has happened. On October 27, 2017, Order No. 533 of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia “On approval of the total allowable catch of aquatic biological resources in the inland sea waters of the Russian Federation, in the territorial sea of the Russian Federation, on the continental shelf of the Russian Federation and in the exclusive economic zone of the Russian Federation in the Azov and Caspian Seas for 2018” was adopted. Behind this pile of clerical words, the main thing is hidden – more precisely, there has not been this main one there – there has not been our seal there. Finally, it has been removed from the deadly graph with an innocuous title ‘bioresources’. That is, in 2018, the commercial hunting quota for the Caspian seal will not be issued, which means 6,500 animals will remain alive – so much seals would have been supposed to catch in 2018. Six and a half thousand, friends, six and a half thousand! We sincerely congratulate all those who worried about these endangered creatures and fought for their lives. But… Our seal is not stubbornly being inscribed into the Red Book of the Russian Federation. We should tell you a bit more. On February 17, 2017, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation held a meeting of the Commission on Rare and Endangered Animals, Plants and Mushrooms, where it was decided to inscribe the Caspian seal into the Red Book of Russia. As it was supposed in such cases, a draft of the Order "On the approval of lists of fauna objects inscribed into the Red Book of the Russian Federation and excluded from the Red Book of the Russian Federation" was prepared and sent for approval to the Federal Agency for Fisheries and Ministry of Agriculture. We were delighted… Since then, almost ten months have passed - no news, explanations and forecasts. Silence. Our paper has lost its way in the "corridors of power." Or it has been lost. It seems that someone would like to hush this matter up, hush it up and forget. In general, we need more signatures, friends. Please contact everyone you can – ask them to sign the petition! Frankly, for all this time, we have been holding our petition and not been sending it where it should be. On the one hand, we wanted to collect as many signatures as possible, and, on the other hand, we were asked not to hurry. As it turned out, everything was not easy there. Now it is time. Let us finish this year somehow better. Let us make a New Year's gift to the old Caspian Sea. The short link to the petition: https://goo.gl/XKm1UW Thank you for your help in advance! Nataliya Shumeyko Kaspika Caspian Seals Conservation Agency http://kaspika.org/en Photo: @ Mirgaliy Biamukanov, ihe.kz/en