Weather blamed for seal deaths

The area where the dead seals washed ashore lies between the two largest oil fields in western Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan`s Ministry of Environmental Protection says an examination of the dead seals has failed to turn up any evidence of heavy metals or pesticides in their bodies, the Russian news agency RIA Novosti reports.

In addition, tests of water from the Caspian Sea did not reveal the presence of any oil products.

The ministry says the fact that most of the northeastern Caspian Sea didn`t freeze until late February and then melted by March 20 could have had a negative effect on the youngest seals.

In 2000, more than 10,000 seals died in the same area from absorbing oil toxins and pesticide that damaged their immune systems. UPI