Hundreds of dead birds of the protected Mediterranean petrel species washed up in the sea between Shabla and Durankulak. The birds were discovered by Pavel Simeonov from the “Le Balkan” Foundation. Approximately 40 specimens were found near “Cosmos” campsite, while another 150 were counted along the shoreline between Shabla and Krapets.
“Such a mass die-off of a globally threatened species hasn’t occurred in at least 15–20 years,” stated Mikhail Iliev from the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB), who reported the incident to the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water (RIEW) – Varna.
Samples have been taken to determine the cause of death. One theory being investigated is avian influenza, while the second points to entanglement in fishing nets and subsequent drowning. The Mediterranean petrel is a globally threatened species, with the status of “Vulnerable”. It nests colonially in rock crevices and holes. It lays a single egg and has one generation per year in April-September.
There are no proven nesting sites in our country, but it can be found all along the Black Sea coast. In the Mediterranean Sea and adjacent seas it is both resident and migratory. Birds from the Mediterranean population enter the Black Sea through the Bosphorus, mainly in spring and summer. The species feeds on fish, crustaceans and molluscs.
The main threats to the existence of the Mediterranean petrel are excessive industrial fishing, entanglement in fishing nets, baited fishing hooks, and oil spills. A month ago, pollution with oil products was detected on the Northern Black Sea Coast, which Elen Sabatini from the Public Center for Environment and Sustainable Development reported to the Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Water – Varna.
The Dobrich Regional Administration and the Dobrich Regional Directorate for Food Safety are aware of the mass death of the birds. Actions have been taken to remove the dead birds from the shore, the Regional Inspectorate for Environmental Protection and Water Resources reported. The analysis from laboratory tests on the cause of the birds’ death will become clear early next week.
The first results from the samples have come back negative for infectious diseases, according to the Municipality of Shabla. Competent authorities are continuing their work to clarify the reasons for the mortality. Due to the risk of spreading infections, the Dobrich Regional Administration warned that dead birds should not be touched or moved from where they were found.
