site.btaTsarevo Municipal Council Decides Against Declaring Cape Maslen Nos as Bulgaria’s First Marine-only Reserve

The Tsarevo Municipal Council on Wednesday unanimously accepted a declaration against the conversion of Cape Maslen Nos into a protected marine reserve. 

According to the declaration, the Council strongly opposes the proposal of declaring Cape Maslen Nos a protected marine reserve, as it lacks adequate environmental reports or impact assessments from the municipalities of Primorsko, Sozopol and Tsarevo. It also lacks clearly defined prohibitions and allowed activities within the reserve, and does not describe the benefits for the local population, their way of life and culture.

The councillors authorized Tsarevo Mayor Marin Kirov to protect the interests of the local community, citizens, fishermen and tourist industry by defending their position. Kirov emphasized that the declaration will be sent to the Environment and Water Ministry, to Greenpeace Bulgaria and to the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, together with declarations from the business and fishing associations in the municipality.

On October 31, Greenpeace Bulgaria submitted a petition to declare Cape Maslen Nos as Bulgaria’s first marine-only reserve to the Environment and Water Ministry. Two representatives of the organization also met with fishermen, business representatives and residents to outline the main parameters of their idea, which is to declare the territory from Cape Agalina to Lozenets a protected marine reserve. During the meeting, the mayors of Tsarevo, Primorsko and Sozopol categorically rejected their idea.