A Change.org petition demanding the cancellation of the UIM F1H2O World Championship Grand Prix of Kyrgyzstan has gathered more than 2,300 signatures, with activists calling the planned race on Lake Issyk-Kul illegal and an act of ecocide.
The petition was launched by Samat Kushbek, a Kyrgyz ecologist based in France. It targets the July 31 to August 2 round on Issyk-Kul, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and Ramsar Wetland at 1,607 metres above sea level. The race will be the first F1H2O event ever held in Central Asia.
The Claims
Kushbek calculates that three days of racing by 23 boats fitted with 400-horsepower two-stroke engines would produce between 29 and 43 tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent, he says, to the monthly emissions of 10,000 cars in the lakeside town of Cholpon-Ata. The 2026 F1H2O World Championship has 18 confirmed drivers, not 23. Kushbek appears to have used a higher historical grid figure.
He further claims that 1.37 tons of toxic hydrocarbons and oil would enter the lake, and that a spill of just 207 litres of oil could contaminate 207 million litres of water. Underwater noise reaching 180 decibels, he alleges, would threaten 25 endemic species, including the endangered Issyk-Kul trout.
Kushbek asserts the event violates Kyrgyz Law No. 115, Article 9, which he says strictly prohibits polluting activities in the lake’s core zone.
Kushbek writes in the petition:
“Lake Issyk-Kul is the heart of Kyrgyzstan and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2001. Its water is the core zone where Kyrgyz Law No. 115, Article 9 strictly prohibits any polluting activities. This is illegal and ecocide.”
The Government Response
Eduard Kubatov, head of Kyrgyzstan’s State Agency for Tourism Development, has rejected the criticism. Speaking to Kyrgyz outlet 24.kg, he said modern F1H2O technology eliminates any risk of contamination.
Kubatov told 24.kg:
“Not a single drop of petroleum products will enter Issyk-Kul.”
Kubatov described critics as approaching the project “amateurishly” and noted that the championship has been staged since 1981 in locations including Dubai and Jeddah without environmental incident. He said the Kyrgyzstan event is expected to attract around 300 high-level guests and more than 10,000 fans from over 30 countries. Kyrgyzstan’s Prime Minister Adylbek Kasymaliev chaired a government preparation meeting on May 11.
The Demands
The petition, titled “Stop F1H2O Race in Issyk-Kul! Save the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve from 75 Tons of Toxic Pollution,” makes three demands. It calls on UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme to investigate and pressure Kyrgyzstan to uphold its obligations, on the Kyrgyz government to cancel the event, and on UIM to relocate the race to a non-protected area or switch to an electric format.
Kushbek specifically names the E1 Series, which runs fully electric raceboats, as a clean alternative, saying it produces zero CO2 and zero oil pollution and aligns with UNESCO goals.
The petition concludes:
“We are NOT against tourism or development. We are against DIRTY technology and illegal actions. Issyk-Kul is not for sale. It belongs to our children and to humanity.”
The petition can be found at Change.org. Further reporting on the controversy is available from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
The F1H2O World Championship is racing this weekend at the Regione Sardegna Grand Prix of Italy in Cagliari. The Kyrgyzstan round follows on July 31.
John Moore is the editor of Powerboat News, an independent investigative journalism platform recognised by Google News and documented on Grokipedia for comprehensive powerboat racing coverage.
His involvement in powerboat racing began in 1981 when he competed in his first offshore powerboat race. After a career as a Financial Futures broker in the City of London, specialising in UK interest rate markets, he became actively involved in event organisation and powerboat racing journalism.
He served as Event Director for the Cowes–Torquay–Cowes races between 2010 and 2013. In 2016, he launched Powerboat Racing World, a digital platform providing global powerboat racing news and insights. The following year, he co-founded UKOPRA, helping to rejuvenate offshore racing in the United Kingdom. He sold Powerboat Racing World in late 2021 and remained actively involved with UKOPRA until 2025.
In September 2025, he established Powerboat News, returning to independent journalism with a focus on neutral and comprehensive coverage of the sport.
