site.btaMinisters, Environmentalists Take Urgent Measures to Protect Black Sea Dolphins

Ministers, Environmentalists Take Urgent Measures to Protect  Black Sea Dolphins

Sofia, July 21 (BTA) - Ministers and environmentalists mapped out urgent measures to protect the dolphin population in Bulgaria's Black Sea waters at a meeting with Prime Minister Boyko Borissov. The meeting was held at the Council of Ministers on Thursday.

The measures include a ban of fishing at locations with dolphin populations within a week, Agriculture and Food Minister Dessislava Taneva told journalists after the meeting. The main reason for the death of dolphins is that they get entangled in fishing nets. A total of 108 dead dolphins have been found on the coast so far this year, including 77 along the southern Black Sea coast, Environment and Water Minister Ivelina Vassileva said. An expert from her ministry explained that the dolphin population in Bulgaria's exclusive Black Sea economic zone is approximately 15,000.

Atanas Roussev of the Protect Koral environmental organization specified that only 5 to 10 per cent of the dead dolphins are washed ashore. This means that about 1,000 dolphins, or the entire young population, die each year. If this continues, the dolphins in the Black Sea will become extinct in 15 years, he pointed out.

Interior Ministry Chief Secretary Georgi Kostov said that Border Police will use their boats and equipment to protect the dolphins and control fishing in the banned areas.

Revisions to the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act are also being prepared to restrict the various types of fishing violating biodiversity. These include nets equipped with acoustic devices to keep young dolphins away.