Bulgarian Tourism Minister: Mobile Teams will Monitor Against Coastal Dune Destruction

 Since yesterday mobile teams of the Ministry of Tourism have been monitoring what is happening with the coastal dunes, instead of waiting for the summer season, Minister Nikolina Angelkova told BTV in the morning. Asked why some dunes turned out on privately owned land and how the state could prevent their destruction, she replied: "Regardless of the type of ownership, whether private, state or municipal, the Protected Areas Act clearly states that dunes should not be destroyed and must be preserved." In the case of the Smokinya camp-site, the punishment is up to 3 years in prison and a fine of BGN 2,000 to 10,000, she noted. "This is an extreme vandalism. I really cannot imagine how it might possibly occur to someone that he could just level and use excavators to clear the view. It's absurd," she commented. In her opinion, the response by all institutions was immediate. She said draft amendments would provide for higher fines of up to BGN 50,000 for dune destruction.