Bulgaria has introduced extraordinary requirements for all ships passing through the country's territorial sea. The measures are set out in an extraordinary navigational message and provide for mandatory prior notification to maritime authorities.
Captains must send a specialized report, designated as SP, exactly two hours before the ship crosses the border of Bulgarian territorial waters. It shall state the name of the vessel, its IMO identification number and the country under whose flag it is flying.
The point and geographical coordinates of entry, the expected time in Universal Coordinated Time, as well as the last and next port on the route are also required.
What data will the captains submit
The notification must describe the cargo being transported, explicitly stating whether there are any hazardous substances, harmful materials or gases on board that may endanger people or the marine environment.
The report must also contain the total number of people on board, including the captain, the available quantities and types of fuel and lubricants. Captains are required to report technical malfunctions and defects, as well as provide the ship's manager's contact information.
According to Maritime.bg, the aim of the new rules is to strengthen control over vessel movement, increase shipping safety and limit the risk of marine pollution.
The measures follow a series of attacks
The extraordinary requirements were introduced against the backdrop of a series of incidents involving merchant ships in the Black Sea. On October 6, two vessels were attacked with drones near the Bulgarian coast. ALFA WATAN sank, and ABLE suffered serious damage.
On October 13, the Maltese-flagged CHELSEA-3 was hit near Byala. All 15 sailors on board were rescued. On the same day, HS DIGNITY sank near Shabla. Five crew members were rescued, while 11 remained missing.
On October 14, a fire broke out on the tanker YARA J near the Romanian port of Sulina. Romanian authorities have launched an investigation into whether a drone attack was the cause. The next day, an attack on the ship WINE TRADER was also reported.
On October 23, the ship “Horiv“ was hit off Romania. One sailor died, and the damaged vessel began to drift and later entered the Bulgarian exclusive economic zone.
The latest serious incident was on October 28. A container ship was hit by three naval drones off Shabla and sank. All 18 sailors were rescued, but the presence of dangerous goods on board necessitated checks for possible contamination of the seawater.
Sources: nova.bg, maritime.bg