In early November, motorcycles were confiscated from an unregistered group of biker tourists in the Steneto Reserve of Bulgaria's Central Balkan National Park. The confiscation was part of a crackdown on unregulated motor vehicle traffic in the biosphere reserve, which has been part of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme for 45 years. Georgi Krastev, the director of the protected area, participated in the enforcement action.
The violators were riding through the Steneto Reserve, where all human activities are prohibited. Only walking on designated trails is permitted, or visiting the reserve for scientific purposes with prior approval from the management. The reserve is home to 312 animal species and 224 bird species, including rare species such as the peregrine falcon, the common cuckoo, and the Ural owl.
Unregulated motor vehicle traffic in protected areas causes noise pollution, disturbing wild animals. Exhaust fumes contaminate the air and can disrupt the natural behavior of birds, including their feeding and breeding. This threatens the reserve's biodiversity and can lead to the loss of habitats for rare and endangered species.
Measures to restrict unregulated motor vehicle traffic in the Central Balkan National Park were timed to coincide with International Day of Biosphere Reserves. The management of the Central Balkan National Park plans to continue working in this direction.
"We hope for public support in protecting our natural heritage," said director Georgi Krastev. "We call on citizens who witness violations to continue reporting them to us, and for those who violate the law to be aware of the consequences of their actions." The rules of conduct in the Central Balkan National Park can be found on the organization's official website.
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