On October 31, we celebrate the International Black Sea Day. It aims to draw public attention to the problems of the sea and the ways to protect it, to ensure a better future for 16 million people from six countries living along the Black Sea coast. On this day in 1996, Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Turkiye and Ukraine signed a Strategic Action Plan for the Restoration and Protection of the Black Sea. Today, almost three decades after the signing of the document, many people living along the Black Sea coast believe that a new and more effective approach must be found for the protection and restoration of the unique ecosystem.

In order to protect the Black Sea waters, over 10,000 people have supported a Greenpeace petition for the establishment of the first fully marine reserve in Bulgaria, reported BNR Varna. Scientists from the Institute of Oceanology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in Varna have recommended that this reserve be located in the Maslen Cape area near Primorsko. This area is home to endangered species that require special protection. Moreover, it is characterized by relatively low human impact, noted Greenpeace. The petition also calls on the Ministry of Environment and Water to develop a comprehensive policy for international cooperation in protecting the Black Sea. At this stage, the local fishing community opposes the request for the creation of a marine reserve.