Campers with caravans, campers and cars have settled on the dunes on the beach "Krapets - Sever" ;. Tourists also have tents in the protected areas. There is an ordinance for camping, but as of 2019 it is waiting to be adopted.
That is why BNT viewers signaled.
The problem with the destruction of the dunes has been going on for years and escalates during the active summer season, when the beach is filled with Bulgarian and foreign tourists. Which institutions have the right to control and what are the fines for violators?
During this summer, too, dozens of campers with caravans, campers and cars park freely on the dunes of the beach "Krapets - Sever". With these actions, they contribute to the damage of dune habitats, which are protected by law.
The fines range from BGN 100 to BGN 5,000, but apparently these sanctions do not bother the violators, who freely settle on the first line of the beach “Krapets - Sever” or in other words in the dunes.
The beach “Krapets - North” is favored by campers because of the wide strip that has not yet been affected by construction. It also attracts tourists with its clear sea water, which has a turquoise color. For years, this beach has been visited by Bulgarian and foreign tourists who camp on the dunes or in the nearby forest.
"Systematically, nature is horribly destroyed by campers and illegals. I'm talking about thousands of people a week who stay on the dunes," said Svetoslav Ivanov, a campsite owner.
The beach and the terrain around it fall into a protected area “Durankulash Lake”. The rules of two laws apply here - on the organization of the Black Sea coast and on biological diversity. Control is carried out by the eco-inspection in Varna and by the police.
"In some cases, deeds are drawn up on the spot, in others the number plates of the cars are recorded, the owners are searched for and invited to the Regional Inspectorate to draw up deeds,'' pointed out Stella Docheva, ch. expert at RISV - Varna.
However, the sanctions do not scare campers and tourists who park their cars on the dunes during the active flying season.
"They use the beach almost as a parking lot for motor vehicles and caravans," states Veselin Dimitrov, chief expert in the Dobrich Regional Administration.
During the inspection, a Romanian family, which arrived in Krapets from Bucharest, turned out to be among the offenders. They also received a report from the police warning them to leave the dunes. They have the right to leave within 24 hours, if they don't, the fine is BGN 1,000.
"No, we don't know that it is forbidden to park here. We realized we were in violation and we're leaving," said Dana, Romania.
It turns out that foreigners who have broken the law are not issued documents on the spot, because the requirement is to have an interpreter in the field.
"We necessarily invite them to us, organizing in advance the time and date for drawing up the act and in the presence of a translator," explained Stella Docheva, ch. expert at RISV - Varna.
Sorin also arrived from the Romanian capital on the beach in Krapets. The man says he has written to the Ministry of Tourism in Bulgaria to find out about the rules for parking and staying in this area. But he never received an answer, but during the inspection he received a warning to move his vehicle from the dunes.
"I don't know and I don't see a warning that I shouldn't park here. It's not in English, it might be in Bulgarian, but not in English," said Sorin Felaga, Romania.
This is the only sign indicating that the provisions of the Black Sea Coast Development Act apply to the beach. It is nestled among lush vegetation and is difficult to see for drivers.
"I didn't see the sign. And with the presence of restaurants and other things on the dunes, I didn't even pay attention to the fact that there might be a sign somewhere", explained Milen Hristov.
The information on the sign is only in Bulgarian and is difficult to understand even by our compatriots.
"I don't know that they are dunes here. Nowhere does it say they are dunes. I came to ride a kite, there was a very good forecast", said Iskren Georgiev.
People are demanding that a camping regulation be introduced in our country, as there are in many other EU countries.
"It is absolutely unacceptable there and any such illegal act, destroying nature is a prison,", Svetoslav Ivanov, the owner of the campsite, is categorical.
Parking on dunes is also observed in other wild places along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, where there is still no concrete. There is an ordinance for camping, but as of 2019 it is waiting to be adopted.