The development of offshore wind farms should not be at the expense of fisheries, the Bulgarian Chamber of Shipping (BMC) said in a press release. There is a need for refinement of the texts adopted at first reading to the Renewable Energy in Maritime Spaces bill, said Captain Alexander Kalchev, Chairman of the Bulgarian Chamber of Shipping. He calls on lawmakers to take into consideration the interests of the fisheries and aquaculture sector, where thousands of Bulgarians are employed. 

BMC agrees that there is a need for regulation of the offshore business, but not at the expense of other sectors of the blue economy, including maritime tourism. The Bulgarian Chamber of Shipping calls for a comprehensive analysis of the maritime economy, biodiversity and marine resources, and for identifying potentially negative effects of the implementation of renewable energy projects in the Black Sea.

• Wind turbines might pose risk to Black Sea tourism and fishing