A citizen reported to the editorial office of Iskra.bg, claiming that there are illegal mussel farms in the area of Chengene Skele.
The whistleblower accidentally came across them while riding a water bike in early August. He got tangled up with makeshift buoys in the water area of the bay.
The citizen decided to reach out to the authorities to find out whether these mussel farms are legal, given that they are located in a protected area like Chengene Skele. He sought information on the Basin Directorate‘s website regarding the makeshift buoys.
In doing so, he discovered that no mussel farms or related installations are allowed in that area precisely because it is a protected site. He then filed a complaint with the Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture (EAFA). A few days later, they responded, confirming the presence of the installations but stated that they didn’t know who they belonged to and that the matter was outside their jurisdiction. Therefore, he was advised to contact the Maritime Administration in Burgas.
The person followed up by submitting a report, attaching the response from EAFA. Two days ago, he received feedback from the Maritime Administration in Burgas. They informed him that there are no active mussel farms in this area. However, there are structures in place that currently do not have a licensed owner. The last licensed owner had their license terminated.
According to the citizen, this means that the buoys in question are illegal and should be removed. However, the Maritime Administration once again redirected him to the EAFA and the Basin Directorate.
This case raises several important questions:
- Which institution is responsible for removing the illegally installed buoys?
- Why are the institutions passing the issue from one to another?
- Is it possible that these mussel farms belong to a specific person, and the institutions are deliberately shifting responsibility to avoid resolving the issue?
