The study was carried out within the “Studies for implementing a Common Fisheries Policies: Negative impact on the populations of Cetaceans in the Black Sea”, implemented by the English consultancy company MacAlister Elliott & Partners Ltd and funded by DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the EC. The scientific team of the project comprises experts from Bulgaria (IFR Varna and IO - BAS, Varna), Romania (National Institute for Marine Research & Development "Grigore Antipa", Constanta), Turkey (TUDAV and University of Istanbul), Ukraine (Brema Laboratory and Black Sea Council for Marine Mammals, Simferopol and Institute on Fisheries and Oceanology, Kerc) and UK (Saint Andrews University, Scotland).

The main aim of the study was to obtain data on the overall numbers of Black Sea Cetaceans as there is no data on population density, distribution and numbers on the three species. Gathering information on these indicators is among the priority actions stated in the Plan for Conservation of the Black Sea Cetaceans, developed by an expert group under the aegis of ACCOBAMS and the Black Sea Commission in 2006 and adopted by the Third Conference of the Parties of ACCOBAMS in 2007.

A well-tested methodology using a small airplane (Partenavia P-68), equipped with special projected windows, allowing for observations directly under the airplane was applied. Dr. Simone Panigada, Vice-president of the Tetis Institute, Italy, was the leader of the team. The team of four observes comprised Giancarlo Lauriano – ISPRA, Italy; Marian Paiu – Mare Nostrum NGO, Romania; Dimitar Popov- Green Balkans, Bulgaria and Arda Tonay – TUDAV/Istanbul University, Turkey. Michele Albertario from MACH 014, Italy, piloted the airplane. A number of observations were obtained during the flights, which will now be processed through up-to-date statistical methods in order to calculate numbers, distribution and density of the studied populations.

More on the Cetacean species in the Black Sea…
Cetaceans of the Black Sea are identified as separate sub-species, due to the closed character of the sea. All three species are included in the International Red Data List of IUCN:
Black Sea Harbour Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena relicta) – endangered (EN)
Black Sea bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus ponticus) – endangered (EN)
Black Sea Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis ponticus) – vulnerable (VU)
Information on their numbers and distribution in the Black Sea is crucial for identifying the extent of human impact and the planning and implementation of adequate conservation programmes.

More on the work of Green Balkans…
Green Balkans is a leading organization in research and conservation of Black Sea Cetaceans. The activities started in 2005. A voluntary network for gathering data on stranded Cetaceans, operating since 2008 has been set up by the organization. In 2010 Green Balkans introduced photo-identification as a method for dolphin research for the first time in Bulgaria. Green Balkans submitted to the National Service for Nature Protection a proposal for including the two methods (photo-identification and Cetacean stranding) as a part of the officially approved methods of the National System for Biomonitoring. The results, achieved by Green Balkans, gained international recognition with the acceptance of the organization as an official partner of ACCOBAMS (Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic area) in 2013. ACCOBAMS is an inter-governmental agreement for conserving the marine biodiversity of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. The agreement is a part of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn Convention).

For more details, please contact:

Dimitar Popov - coordinator of the Cetaceans conservation programme of Green Balkans
Phone: +359 32 626977
Mobile phone: + 359 885 108712, е-mail: dpopov@greenbalkans.org