The Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture has received new and significant powers in the fight against poachers, which are spelled out in Regulation No. 78 of 13 September 2024 and entered into force on the same day. The new measures will enable the Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture officials to apply more effective control over fishing activities in the country and facilitate their fight against poaching.
The Ordinance introduces new enforcement mechanisms, which include the use of motor vehicles with a special traffic regime, aids such as handcuffs and batons, and the right to detain unidentified offenders until they are handed over to the police. These new methods will allow the Fisheries and Aquaculture Executive Agency’s officers to exercise better control and provide greater security for themselves.
What Regulation No 3 includes
Ordinance No. 3 details the new powers of the officers of the Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture and the procedures for their enforcement. The main points in the Ordinance include:
Use of motor vehicles with special traffic regime:
Employees of the Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture may now use vehicles with a special traffic regime that are equipped with light signals / flashing blue and/or red lights / and sound signals. This will allow them to react more quickly to poaching signals and control fishing activities more effectively. The Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture will be given the power to stop road vehicles, check documents and detain persons where necessary.
Use of aids:
Fisheries and Aquaculture Executive Agency officers are authorised to use handcuffs, batons and stop sticks where necessary when apprehending offenders. To this end, each officer will receive mandatory training in the use of these devices. The use of these aids is strictly regulated and a written report will be prepared for each incident and submitted to management within three days.
Right to detain unidentified persons:
One of the new and important changes in the powers of the Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture is the possibility for the officers to detain unidentified persons who violate the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act /FAA/. Violators will be handed over to the nearest district police station and a detention report will be drawn up by the Fisheries and Aquaculture Executive Agency officers. This will facilitate the process of combating poachers and improve interaction with the police.
Merits of Dr. Nikolay Georgiev
Regulation №3 was implemented thanks to the efforts of the current Director of the Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Dr. Nikolay Georgiev, who has been in office for more than a year. His efforts to reform and improve the work of the Agency contributed to the adoption of these new measures, which will give the staff of the Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture greater security and more effective methods to combat poaching.
Under Dr. Georgiev’s leadership, the Agency has achieved significant results in controlling illegal fishing activities. Over the last three years, the Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture has succeeded in stepping up checks in fishing zones and imposing tougher sanctions on offenders. According to officials, Dr Nikolay Georgiev stands out as one of the most successful managers of the Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture in recent years, thanks to his competence and willingness to work.
We remind about another Executive Director of the Agency – Galin Nikolov, holding the post for the period from 09.03.2017 to 24.01.2022. For him, the Commission for Combating Corruption and Confiscation of Illegally Acquired Assets adopted decisions to establish a conflict of interest.
How will these powers of the officials of the Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture help in the fight against poaching?
With the new powers, the Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture now has all the necessary tools to fight poaching more effectively. Motorised vehicles with a special traffic regime will allow officers to react quickly to alerts and ensure a presence in fishing areas. The right to detain offenders will facilitate the process of apprehending persons trying to evade the law, while handcuffs and batons will ensure the safety of officers in the performance of their duties.
It is expected that these measures will significantly reduce the incidence of poaching in the country, with Agency officers having greater freedom and protection in the performance of their duties. The changes introduced will contribute to more effective conservation of fishery resources, stricter enforcement of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act and greater security for the officers themselves.
