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fishing bulgaria

Fishing in Bulgaria

Where to Fish in Bulgaria

What do fishers all over the world like apart from eating fish? Certainly, eating the product of such activity is just a secondary consequence of fishing – or “angling”. But what leads a person to fish?

What is involved? According to psychological studies, fishing and watching fish decrease blood pressure, induce a feeling of calm and, when placed in dentists’ offices, reduces the need for Novocain before surgery. But people usually fish for some other reasons: fishing in Bulgaria implies recreational fishing and commercial fishing.

Among the various breathtaking landscapes in Bulgaria, the Black Sea lays its salty, quiet waters to amuse the traveller.

Recreational fishing and sport fishing are fishing for pleasure or competition, sometimes following conventions, rules, licensing restrictions and laws that limit the way in which fish may be caught.

The most common form of recreational fishing in Bulgaria is angling, done with a rod, line, and hooks attached to any of a wide range of lures or baits.

But there is a method of growing popularity: kayak fishing. Kayak fishermen fish from sea kayaks because they are extremely stealthy and can allow anglers to reach areas un-fishable from land or by conventional boat.

Bulgaria offers a great variety of thrilling rivers, suitable for this activity in spring and early summer. There are several wonderful lakes in the Southern area of Bulgaria – in the Rhodopes – where people can take a canoe or kayak tour in a beautiful landscape or fish on the varied Bulgarian coast, so inviting for a sea kayak tour.

However, for environmental constraints, it is sometimes expected or required that fish all be returned to the water – this activity is called “catch and release”-, although the practice is viewed by some with disapproval as they consider it unethical to inflict pain on a fish for fun or sport and not for reasons of capturing food.

However, anglers deny this charge by saying that fish often feed on hard and spiky prey items, and are expected to have tough mouths. Some research also shows certain types of fish, such as catfish, do not have nerves around their mouths.

The following is a list of fish you may come across when fishing in Bulgaria:-

Albacore, Bonefish, Brea, Bonito, Pargo, Rockfish, Sailfish, Sheefish, Scamp, Mullet, Yellowtail, Whitefish, Weakfish, Spadefish, Mackeral, Payara, Musky, Salmon, Pacu, Snapper, Walleye, Trout, Sheephead, Shad, Roosterfish, Kahawai, Jewfish, Jack, Huchen, Halibut, Crappies, Dorado, Flounder, Grouper, Bluefish, Billfish, Tigerfish, Kingfish, Cod, Char, Carp, Amberjack, Catfish, Barrcuda, Tilapia, Yatorana, Pike, Parrotfish, Scad, Shellcracker, Swordfish, Tuna, Wahoo, Triggerfish, Snook, Sardinata, Permit, Grilse, Barbel, Bicu, Tripletail, Sarratoga, Aruana, Drum, Grayling, Tarpon, Queenfish, Striper, Stugeon, Yellowfin, Snakehead, Taimen, Marlin, Cobia, Trevally, Bass, Corvina, Splake, Sturgeon, Sunfish, Perch, Surfperch, Pompano, Ladyfish, Saratoga, Mahseer, Barramundi, Kawakawa, Matrincha, Roosterfish, Lenok, Guapote, Machaca, Piraruca, Machaca and Roosterfish.

Commercial fishing provides a large quantity of income and food to Bulgaria as for many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions.

Fishing methods vary according to the region, the species being fished for, and the technology available to the fishermen. A commercial fishing enterprise in Bulgaria may vary from one man with a small boat with hand-casting nets or a few pot traps to a huge fleet of trawlers processing tons of fish every day.

Fortunately, the country has taken the provisions laid down by Fisheries and Agriculture (act 2001) and the Waters Act (1999) about commercial and recreational fishing.

Those fishing decrees are especially supervised in the Bulgarian area along the Danube River, the territorial sea waters, the on-shore seawater areas, the Black Sea coastal line, along with coastal lakes and marshland.

According to Bulgarian legislation, fish species are property of Bulgaria (Art. 2), foreign nationals are allowed in fish husbandry waters for sport fishing under permit issued by Authorities of Ministry of Forest and Forest Industry, after payment of governmental charges (Art. 22 – Fish Husbandry Act of 10 November 1982), the fishing regime for the Black Sea determines a list of prohibited species, gear and seasons. (Sect. I, Arts. 1-7), and commercial fishing in the Black Sea, must be carried out by people holding a permit allowing them such activity, within the limits established by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry, until adoption of respecting act by Council of Ministers.

Legislation for Fishing in Bulgaria also set that industrial fishing permit together with catch report shall be carried on board at all times. (Sect. V. subsection. 9), and they also set the minimum size of species that can be caught, which is listed in the Annex to subs. 1, Executive Order Number I-275 of 7 April 1995 establishing a fishing regime in national waters.

All organizations and persons carrying out fishing activities shall collect on a regular basis, summarized information on their catch by quantities and species for the only purpose of national and international fishing statistics, and submit this information by the end of each calendar year to the relevant authorities. (Sect. V, subsection. 8). Table E establishes some penalties for unauthorized foreign fishing, such as state fines, imprisonment or forfeiture.

All these provisions are compulsory for both commercial and recreational fishing, as recreational fishermen can have profound deleterious effects on the environment in general, and on fish stocks in commercial lakes in particular. No doubt the only way for growing numbers of sport and recreational fishermen to continue fishing is to reduce their impact on fish populations.

The method of “catch and release”, along with some techniques such as strong tackle -to get fish in quickly, for release in good condition-, careful and fast handling of fish and bar-bless hooks to reduce physical damage and quick release lead systems such as Korda quick release system or the e.s.p variety may be useful tools in this endeavour.

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