On International Black Sea Action Day: Environmentalists call for declaring cape Maslen Nos as marine reserve

On the International Black Sea Action Day, the Ministry of Environment received as a gift a buoy from an abandoned mussel farm. This was part of the action of the environmentalists from the Bulgarian branch of Greenpeace, which want to focus the attention of the authorities to the unresolved problems with garbage, which is choking important marine habitats. In addition, environmentalists submitted a petition demanding that the water area around the cape Maslen Nos, Southeastern Bulgaria, be declared a nature reserve.

Before it became a gift with a mission, it had travelled a long way by courier and boat from Maslen Nos. The buoy is one of dozens floating freely on the surface and in the deep, profusely topped with piles of ropes - a veritable underwater dump. An ugly monument of long-abandoned mussel farms that the authorities have not dealt with for six years.

"Both the Ministry of Environment and the Basin Directorate and the regional governments all say they cannot find the owners because they have declared bankruptcy and are untraceable," explained Kremena Vateva from the Bulgarian branch of Greenpeace.

Meanwhile, the buoys and ropes, firmly anchored, are continuously lashed by the sea currents, chewing the bottom and within their reach is expectedly a complete deadpool. But this does not seem to activate the institutions to seek a solution to protect nature.

"In the sea apparently because it's a little bit further from sight and things are a little bit different," Vateva said.

But this deadpool falls within the area that conservationists and experts believe should become a nature reserve. And another 15,000 citizens signed the petition to the environment ministry demanding protection and policies to preserve this part of the Black Sea.

"On the one hand it is very rich and preserved to a large extent, on the other hand the data of scientists, studies show that they actually have quite serious pressure because of various human activities," Vateva explained.

If this area is declared a reserve, it will become free from human activity and life could recover here in four years. According to a report by scientists from the Institute of Oceanology, this is one of the most productive ecosystems ever.

"That area around cape Masen Nos was one of the last places where seals lived. Nowadays, very close to them is the Kiten Reef, which is probably one of the most beautiful underwater places", Martin Tomov from Greenpeace-Bulgaria said.

The petition now puts the issue on the agenda and obliges the Minister to rule on the request within a certain time.

"We expect colleagues to submit the proposal for the designation of a new protected area. We have agreed with Mr. Tomov that it is in the process of being drafted and will be submitted next month," explained Miroslav Kalugerov of the National Nature Protection Service Directorate, Ministry of Environment

It will take many months, but nothing prevents the buoys from being removed tomorrow. The law has provided a mechanism.

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