On the International Day of the Black Sea, the Ministry of the Environment and the waters dawned with a piece of oversized marine debris at its doors. Activists of “Greenpeace“ – Bulgaria submitted a petition to declare the first fully marine reserve in our country and presented the ministry with a buoy from an abandoned mussel farm.
The Ministry of Environment and Water accepted the petition, which is supported by more than 15 thousand people and contains requests for policies for the protection of the sea and the creation of a network of strictly protected marine areas in the Black Sea. The director of the “National Nature Protection Office” Miroslav Kalugerov made a commitment to the media to “hold a working meeting” and “broad public discussions” to fulfill the expectations of the more than 15,000 citizens who signed the petition. We at “Greenpeace“ – Bulgaria, we will continue to closely monitor the actions and inactions of the institutions to make sure that the interests of the Black Sea will be protected.
„This buoy is just one graphic example of the long-standing carelessness towards our sea. Today, on Black Sea Day, the sea came to the doors of one of the responsible institutions. The ministry paid attention to the buoy, we hope they will also pay attention to the abandoned mussel farms, as well as the petition for more protection of the Black Sea, said Martin Tomov from Greenpeace. – Bulgaria.
„Maslen nos region is one of the most productive ecosystems on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, and it is currently polluted by abandoned mussel farms and no one is taking responsibility. And this is not the only damage to the environment and the only threat to life in the Black Sea. No less harmful are illegal but widespread fishing practices such as bottom trawling and dredging, pollution, invasive species. A decision for us is to declare a reservation. A preserve, not a dump.“
“Today's action is only our first step,” Martin Tomov points out. “Greenpeace“ – Bulgaria and scientists from the Institute of Oceanology at the BAS will submit an official proposal to create the first entirely marine reserve. It will be the first strictly protected marine area in the country. According to the EU Biodiversity Strategy, all member countries must have 10% strictly protected areas of their water areas.
The reserve will lead to the recovery of ecologically important populations such as the black clam and a number of marine plants, increase fish stocks up to 4 times and create a refuge for valuable species such as the Black Sea dolphin. The reserve also means stricter and more effective control by the Ministry of Environment and Water and support activities such as the removal of invasive species and the clearing of abandoned mussel farms.
Conversations with fishing associations in Primorsko and Kiten follow. Expect the premiere of our documentary about the Black Sea.