Bulgaria bans camping and parking 100m from beach shoreline

Bulgaria’s National Assembly has approved the second reading of amendments to the Black Sea Coast Act that ban camping and parking 100 metres from beach shoreline, although sleeping on the beach for a night will be allowed.

An initial version of the amendment would, had it not been withdrawn, also outlawed sleeping overnight on the beach.

Fines for breaking the ban will be from 1000 to 10 000 leva (about 500 to 5000 euro) for individuals and from 10 000 to 50 000 leva for juristic persons.

The debate and vote on the second reading of the bill had been preceded by outrage among some Bulgarians against a ban on camping on the remaining relatively unspoilt “wild” beaches at places like Karadere and Irakli, beaches that for years have been the subject of battles over plans to build permanent resorts there, to the annoyance of nature conservationists and those that want the places untrammelled.

Recent years have seen extensive construction along Bulgaria’s Black Sea coastline, especially of large-scale multi-storey projects directly largely towards the foreign mass market.

Karadere, Irakli and the Coral camping area have been seen among conservationists and those who abhor large-scale all-inclusive tourism as among the very few remaining outposts that are not only unspoilt but also accessible for people who want a close-to-nature experience by the seaside...
 [sofiaglobe.com]
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