The Minister of Environment and Water Julian Popov today took part in a working meeting in the region of Shabla and Durankulak. The other participants in the meeting included the mayors of Durankulak Veselin Yordanov and Shabla Marian Zhechev, the director of the Institute of Oceanology Nikolay Valchev, Ivan Nachev from the “Friends of Durankulak” group, Deputy Minister Petar Dimitrov, and the director of the Basin Directorate “Black Sea Region” - Varna Yavor Dimitrov, and experts from the RIEW-Varna.

During the tour in the region, Minister Popov visited dune natural habitats, Pontosarmatian steppes, the protected areas of Shablensko and Durankulak Lake, the “Kaliakra” Reserve and the “Baltata” Maintained Reserve. The mayors and experts informed the Minister about the main environmental problems in the region, as well as the need to update the management plans for the protected areas.

In the presence and with the participation of Minister Popov RIEW-Varna placed information boards signifying their protected status near the dunes in the land of the village of Durankulak, Shabla municipality.

“I would like to thank RIEW-Varna, the Ministry of Environment and Water, and Minister Popov for the commitment and its fulfillment, whereby jointly we initiated the solution to the problem of illegal parking and presence on the beach and dunes in Durankulak,” said Ivan Nachev from the group “Friends of Durankulak”. The group in defense of the region unites the efforts of nature lovers and volunteers, who have been trying for 4 years to activate the institutions for restoring the dunes and protecting biological diversity along the Northern Black Sea coast.