CBugarian Cоastal Strandja Region – a several eco(nomic) approach toward sustainability of one protected area… inside Natura 2000 network Ivan Kamburov, Strandja Nature park Directorate

Continental, Pannonian, Black Sea & Steppic Kick-off Seminar Luxembourg *29 June to 1 July 2015 Support manifestation –for “Strandja” • Hot summer of 2007 - when the Bulgarian Supreme Administrative Court declared that the 12 years “old” Designation order of Strandja Nature Park - the largest protected area in South- Eastern Europe - is not valid… because of insufficiency in supporting administrative documents…

• We thought that it cannot be worse…

• We were wrong…

Bulgarian Black Sea coast - Introduction • 354 km long, 200 km – sand beaches

• 157 protected areas

• 3 000 km2 Habitat Dir. 92/43 Natura 2000 sites

Natura 2000 network in - 35% of the country territory

Natura 2000 network in Bulgaria The forests cover over 80% of Strandja Nature Park area and preserve one of two the largest European oak massif Strandzha Mountain in the borders of Euxinian botanical province

Natura 2000 network in Bulgaria Bulgarian Black Sea coast Trends • Along the coast there are more than 50,000 second homes for sale • Only in the area of Sunny Beach Resort (Slanchev Bryag) and Nessebar – 250,000 beds… • Beach surface under concession 613,889 m2 • Requirement beach space: 8 m2 per person (according BG Territories management Regulation) but… in the area of Sunny Beach Resort (Slanchev Bryag): - there are available area is 20 times less - only 0.4 m2 per person . Over 90% of the new investment construction affecting former dune habitats or agricultural land, used in last 20 years as extensive pastures…

Strandja Nature Park

• 1 200 km2 - The largest Protected area in Bulgaria - 20% of the country’s Protected areas and the largest Natura 2000 site along BG Black sea coast

• Unique for EU Eastern beech and oak forest associations with Caucasian laurus type evergreen vegetation • Together with Danube delta - the only EU Natura 2000 site along the Black sea coastline with own Administration

• Designated as Natura 2000 site – ac- cording the “Birds” and “Habitats” Directive • The highest number types of habitats in Europe - 122 according Palearctic classification and 42 “Natura 2000” habitats • Part of Via Pontica - the second most important birds migration route in Europe • Announced by the European Ministers of the Environment as one of the five most important protected areas on Central and Eastern Europe

Strandja Nature Park Attempted ‘closing down’ of the Park • 2006 – Municipality + the violator of the law (investor with notable name: Krash 2000) complaint against the designation order

• June 2007 – Supreme Administrative Court declares Strandja Nature park designation as invalid • June - July 2007 – Mass civil protests to defend the status of Strandja: with blocking every afternoon the main crossroads of the capital and other major cities for about 1 week,35 arrested on the first day in which the Court declared the decision • July 2007 – BG Parliament bans appeals against already declared protected areas • But…

New General Spatial Plan of Tsarevo Municipality, in the Coastal Area Strandja Nature Park, Natura 2000 and UNESCO site

- 100,000 new beds in the Nature Park and Natura 2000 site - Current levels of urbanisation: - 30 000 beds along the coast = full capacity of beaches Impact Assessment Report - no alternatives considered - species not assessed - incomplete assessment of impact - absurd conclusions, against the irrefutable Academy of sciences expertise - procedure violations - falsification of the report of one of experts, responsible - ignorance of negative position of 3 territorial administrations - ignorance of 4 negative reports of Ministry of Environment Without Consensus but with nontransparent Ministers decision Tsarevo Spatial Plan… - was put in Force!

General Spatial Plan of Coastal Тsarevo Municipality

•85% direct urbanization of the 100m coastal area

•30% of target species’ populations damaged

•16% of Unsustainable agricultural linear urbanization in lands with illegal change farmlands of intention General Spatial Plan of Coastal Strandja,

Tsarevo Municipality Attempted for illegal change of the Park borders without a procedure. At the expense of agricultural land - the urbanized area has increased between 170 and 200%

Illegal presenting of regulatory polygons –for example settlements Varvara and Park borders in General Spatial Plan 1998 year

Park borders in General Spatial Plan 2008 year Strandja Nature Park

Coastal Agricultural land: Field scientific Research and analysis of biota impacts in the General Spatial Plan zones - with personal support from the experts from Bulgarian Academy of Science…

Example from Nature Park Strandja Directorate contra-expertise

Localization of target habitats and species in the Coastal area

The Park Directorate and nature conservation community are using all means at the national level - judicial action, statements, letters, petitions, street protests etc. Formal complaints have also been sent to the EC.

 Signals to the General Attorney  appeal against the decision on Environmental Impact Assessment  An appeal against the adoption of the Master Spatial Plan  A horizontal complaint planned for the lack of protection of Natura 2000 Results: Implementation of GSP Tsarevo is stopped That is the first case in Bulgaria for stopping a Spatial plan

 EC open infringement procedure 2009/4424 against Bulgaria with regards to the General Management Plan of Tsarevo Municipality, affecting Natura 2000 zones Strandzha  Ministry of Environment withdrawn its standpoint for agreement Ecological Assessment of General Management Plan of Tsarevo  Supreme Administrative Court allowed two administrative cases against GSP Tsarevo  Ministry of Regional development issued an order stopping all “new” General Spatial plan procedures The political acts, Strandja Nature Park controversial to the national and European legislation, do not respect the rights of the general public and local communities which livelihoods are directly linked to the sustainable use of nature.

Soil and rock a substrate from construction on agricultural land… that destroyed by depositing the other farmland… General information: the status of the agricultural Natura 2000 subsidies - or why there is no significant community of farmers to protect farmland… in mass tourism condition

 Agriculture in Bulgaria, especially in mountainous and hilly areas, as Natura 2000 site Strandzha - unsuitable for large monoculture complexes - is in a collapse  Funds than planned for subsidies in agricultural land in Natura 200 sites - are absorbed 4%  On the territory of Strandja site (1200 km2) there are only few (8) farmers who cultivate land for the needs of the market ... in the presence of 21 settlements ...

 There are some pastors and many beekeepers, but they are not connected to particular agricultural parcels…

Our ideas and support for sustainability of Strandja Natura 2000 site may reduce decreasing of the most interesting oasis of Tertiary vegetation in Bulgaria, over the Balkan peninsula and in Europe… Sustainable development activities in Strandja Nature Park

DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AND ORGANIC FARMING

Why sustainable tourism, natural friendly farming and producing of traditional food should be seen as "alternative“?

- Alternative… to what?

DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AND ORGANIC FARMING IN PROTECTED AREAS

Is there a public consensus on the structure of sustainability? Are there knowledge and awareness on what we preserve? Is there responsible, daily support for traditional local producers and their products?

Eco - gastronomic movement - SLOW FOOD, ESSEDRA and Terra madre fests - in support for local producers and “consumers”

Natura 2000 "network" with similar initiatives Transboundary activities with Turkish Konvivium in Vize Links to the movements of peaceful cities – CITTASLOW

UNESCO concept for Biosphere reserves (parks)

Thank you for your attention!