A large-scale inspection at Kara Dere beach on Bulgaria's northern Black Sea coast has revealed around 1,000 illegally placed caravans, campers and tents. According to the Varna regional administration, tents occupy about 50% of the beach, and placement is prohibited on sand dunes and in zone A (500 meters from the sea).
The joint operation involves the Byala municipality, police, forestry agency and environmental inspectorate. Owners have been given notices to voluntarily vacate the area by August 7, after which the structures will be dismantled at their expense. Fines for illegal camping range from 500 to 1,000 leva for a first offense and from 1,500 to 3,000 leva for a repeat offense; damaging dunes carries fines from 10,000 to 30,000 leva. Inspections will continue until the end of the season.
Experts from RIOSV-Varna conducted a joint inspection of the Byala-Kara Dere beach, part of the protected zone BG0000100 "Shkorpilovtsi Beach" of the Natura 2000 network. Cars and caravans were found parked on the beach strip and dunes, damaging natural vegetation. RIOSV will request information on vehicle owners to bring them to administrative responsibility under the Biodiversity Act.