Order No. RD-09-1029/16.12.2020 / No. RD-1066/ 23.12.2020 on the introduction of a ban on fishing in the Bulgarian waters of the Danube River and the Black Sea of sturgeon species.

This ministerial order establishes a five-year prohibition on the fishing of specific sturgeon species: namely Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii), sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus), stellate sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus), and beluga (Huso huso), within the Bulgarian maritime space of the Danube River and the Black Sea. Effective from January 1, 2021, the regulation aims to ensure the protection and recovery of these populations by prohibiting the extraction, transport, storage, and sale of wild-caught specimens and their derived products.
Mandatory procedures require that any incidentally caught sturgeon be returned immediately to the water, regardless of their condition. Commercial vessel captains and recreational fishers are required to record specific biological data for all accidental catches in official logbooks. These restrictions do not apply to specimens raised in registered aquaculture facilities or those caught for authorized scientific research, provided they are not retained. Enforcement of these provisions is delegated to the Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture and the Regional Inspections of Environment and Water.