site.btaAuthorities to Extend Nearly Lv 5 Mln for Lakes Shabla, Durankulak

March 21 (BTA) - Authorities will extend nearly 5 million leva under the Operatonal Programme Environment for Lakes  Shabla and Durankulak, said Environment Minister Neno Dimov during an inspection of Lake Shabla protected area on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Boyko Borissov had sent Dimov to check reports that the protected Lake Shabla in Northeastern Bulgaria had been
 
drained and the wetlands had dried out after a canal was dug through the sand dunes.

Dimov said that the draining of the lake is not in violation of the protected area management plan.

The Association of Parks in Bulgaria has said earlier that the management plan for Lake Shabla prohibits any action resulting in drop of the water level by over 0.5 m.

The Minister said that in certain conditions such actions are admissible and assured that they had been approved by the Institute of Fishing Resources and were scheduled to conclude before April 1.

This will ensure that the lake will replenish and the breeding season of fish and birds is not affected. Dimov was adamant that the draining of the lake was completed before the end of February.

The Minister explained the lake was drained in the narrowest stretch separating it from the sea in order to preserve dunes inthe area.

On Thursday, Toma Belev of the Association of Parks in Bulgaria told national radio that the Association will alert the European Commission about the lake's draining.

Belev said that grey dunes have been destroyed during the  digging of the canal, which is forbidden by the law. IG/PP



/СН/