National strategy for the protection of biological diversity.

The purpose of the National strategy for the protection of biological diversity is the protection, restoration and sustainable management of biological diversity in the country, as well as limiting the loss of biological diversity. The over-riding objective of this text is the conservation of biodiversity. This objective includes two main sub-objectives: Conservation, strengthening and restoration of key ecosystems, habitats, species and their genetic resources; and Ensuring of possibilities for sustainable use of biological resources. To achieve the objectives, priority measures have been identified consisting of several activities. In order of priority, these measures are here partially listed: drafting of acts, normative acts and information-managerial documents; establishment of data bases, monitoring systems and geographic information systems in support of the process of management; cadastre of protected areas; institutional strengthening of Government biodiversity conservation units; establishment and maintaining of the National Eco-network; preservation of samples of characteristic ecosystems, habitats and landscapes; provision of legal protection for endangered plant and animal species; implementation of species conservation action in compliance with relevant laws and conventions; maintenance of critical populations of endangered species of domestic plants, animals and fish; construction of national reserves for domestic plants, animal and fish breeds that are considered as threatened; establishment of a National Gene Bank of deep-frozen gametes and embryos.
The basis of Bulgaria's efforts to protect biological diversity is its network of protected areas. This network must be expanded and developed to provide protection for the most important and endangered territories and sites of Bulgaria, high priority areas for creating new or expanding existing protected areas are the Rhodopes; the Black Sea coast; Strandzha Mountain; the localities surrounding or connecting the 7 national parks in Rila, Pirin, Vitosha and Stara planina; and the Struma river valley. Immediate further action is needed to delineate the new protected areas and to reassess the objectives and methods of the network as a whole. These measures should emphasize the improvement and improvement of land management, legislation and practical application and compliance with laws, monitoring of the state of biodiversity, education and outreach, staff training, information services and opportunities for research activity. Lands outside the protected areas Even if the official goal of including 7.5% of the total land fund in Bulgaria in protected areas is fulfilled, the network of protected areas will manage to preserve an insufficient part of the national biological diversity. Furthermore, the fate of protected areas and the biodiversity they contain is greatly influenced by activities in the surrounding landscape. Greater attention should be paid to the management and management of lands outside protected areas, especially those subject to recent return to private or municipal ownership. Conservation activity on these lands should be strongly encouraged through new economic incentives, better integrated resource management programs, effective environmental taxes and fees, and appropriately modified cost-benefit analyzes and assessments, appropriate regulatory frameworks, and more reforms in the overall policy in this area. To ensure the sustainable use of economically important plant and animal species, habitat types, and soil and water resources, their management must be based on sound ecological principles. Sustainable management of fisheries, commercial forests, game and wild plant populations, and agricultural lands should be encouraged through the adoption of new laws regulating the domestic consumption and export of important biological species; the introduction of stricter pollution control and improvement of forestry and agricultural practices; unilateral and regional actions to protect the fish and water resources of the Black Sea; and joint all-Balkan initiatives for cooperation in the protection of nature and biological diversity. Habitat restoration Vast areas of Bulgaria - especially wetlands, forests, intensive cropland, grasslands, riparian areas and industrial areas - have been degraded or even destroyed in the past by the application of unwise management practices. Greater investments of time, labour, skills and knowledge are needed to restore the biodiversity, vitality and productivity of these lands. Restoration should be encouraged and expanded through the use of such measures as the introduction of economic incentives, the dissemination and promotion of information on restoration ecology and management methods, the establishment of seed banks, nurseries and breeding farms, and through cooperation with other countries in cross-border restoration projects. In the protection of biological diversity in the country, it is extremely necessary to adopt such an approach to the management of lands and resources, which realizes and takes into account the value of preserving and restoring diversity at all its levels and through different modes of management and laying.