site.btaRomanian Authorities Release Two Bulgarian Fishing Boats from Constanta Port

On April 26, Friday, at 14:00 the Romanian authorities from the port of Constanta released two Bulgarian fishing boats out of three detained last March, the Embassy of Bulgaria in Romania told BTA. The first boat was released two months ago.

On March 24, 2023, some 50 miles east of Constanta, following a joint operation by the executive agencies for fisheries and aquaculture of the two countries, Romanian authorities detained three Bulgarian fishing boats with a total of ten men on board for illegal shark fishing. 

Bulgarian diplomats immediately sent an urgent note to the Romanian Foreign Ministry and took all necessary actions to clarify the case. The Bulgarian state also provided assistance in finding Romanian lawyers. In a little more than twenty-four hours, the ten crew members of the three boats were released and returned to Bulgaria. However, the fishing boats remained detained by a prosecutor's order at the port of Constanta. The case was under coastguard investigation and criminal proceedings for poaching were initiated.

The two fishing boats are currently on their way to Bulgaria and are expected to arrive in the country by 22:00 on Friday, one of the captains, Krasimir Petrov, told BTA on his way to Bulgaria.