The Minister of Agriculture and Food, Dr. Georgi Tahov, opened the National Fish Fest in Sofia. He pointed out that the festival has an important mission, which is to bring society closer to fisheries in a modern and accessible way. “Events like this give visibility to the sector, expand sales opportunities, encourage trust between producers and consumers and promote sustainable practices“ , the Minister of Agriculture emphasized.
He added that the “Fisheries and Aquaculture“ sector is supported under the Maritime Affairs, Fisheries and Aquaculture Program (MAFP) 2021-2027, and thanks to it, fishing ports are being built, new technologies are being created and new long-term tangible assets are being purchased. “This is a sector that generates a significant portion of the Gross Domestic Product in agriculture and puts one of our tastiest foods on the table“, pointed out Minister Tahov.
At the moment, 107 project proposals worth nearly 85 million BGN have been agreed under the PMDR. Project proposals for about 47 million BGN in grant aid are under evaluation. The 30 strategies submitted under the “Community-Led Local Development“ approach are also being evaluated separately for about 104.3 million BGN, including about 26.1 million BGN for current costs and costs for promoting the strategies. After an assessment for administrative compliance and eligibility, 24 strategies for about 64.7 million BGN and 20.78 million BGN for current costs and costs for promoting the strategies will proceed to the next stage of evaluation. By the end of the year, new admissions are expected under three procedures with a total budget of 10.56 million leva.
Minister Tahov announced that on the eve of St. Nicholas Day, the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency traditionally carries out increased control in fish harvesting, production and trade facilities. From November 24 to today, over 500 inspections have been carried out in retail facilities, including mobile facilities with live and fresh fish, catering establishments and fish farms. The inspections continue, and on December 6 itself there will be teams on duty to ensure that the fish on the Bulgarian table is safe and of high quality.
Minister Tahov expressed confidence that the National Fish Fest will become a tradition that unites fishermen, producers and consumers.
On the square “Gina Kuncheva“ next to the monument of Vasil Levski in the capital, today until 6 p.m. educational and creative workshops, games and art activities for children are being held, through which they will learn more about the sea, fish and nature in an interactive and fun way. For adults, lectures, demonstrations and consultations related to healthy eating, sustainable fishing and recognition of fish products have been organized.
There is also a separate culinary area, where visitors can watch live the preparation of various fish dishes and try fish specialties in the restaurant area “Taste of the Sea“, where fish is offered at cost price.