Newsletter / Blog
2011-06-06 Important Bird Areas protected in Bulgaria.
The Bulgarian government has confirmed Special Protection Area
extensions for four key Important Bird Areas in Bulgaria. The
extensions of Lomovete, Central Balkan, Pirin and Western Rhodopes will
provide protection for key breeding populations of endangered species
such as the Egyptian Vulture and Saker falcon, along with a host of
forest species. This follows a long campaign by the Bulgarian Society
for the Protection of Birds (BSPB – the BirdLife Partner in Bulgaria)
and BirdLife to get the sites fully designated, which resulted in a
complaint to the European Commission.
Irina Mateeva, BSPB’s EU Policy Officer said ‘We’re delighted that
these special sites will now be fully protected under EU and Bulgarian
law. However, a decision to extend a further key site, Rila Mountain,
has yet to be made, and we are very concerned that the government
continues to refuse to fully designate the Kaliakra peninsula, wintering
site for the globally threatened red-breasted goose and an important
stopping-off point for thousands of birds on the Via Pontica migration
route.
BSPB and BirdLife will continue the campaign to ensure the
designation and protection of the Kaliakra peninsula, and the rigorous
protection of all Bulgaria’s important areas for birds. |