AKADEMSKI SPELEOLOSKO ALPINISTICKI KLUB BEOGRAD, Studentski tre 16 5, Simpozijum o zaititi karsta, Guta, 24 - 26. 08.2004. godine str, 191 - 196 Alexey Jalov, Magdalena Stamenova' KARST AND CAVE PROTECTION IN BULGARIA Abstract 22,7 % of the territory of Bulgaria is covered by carbonate rocks, which presupposes the presence of karst phemonena. Only the explored and mapped caves in our country are about 5500. The caves have scientific, cultural, aestetical and economic importance. The Acts for protection of the Nature and Protected areas put some caves with scientific, historical or cultural value or specific natural beauty under special protection. The same statute have some karst sites (springs, rocki bridges, gorges, kanyons, etc.). In generally the protected areas in Bulgaria include: the Reserves, the National Parks, the Natural Parks, the Natural Phenomena, the Protected sites, the Protected plants and animals. The reservation Vrachanski karst is the only specific karst reservation in Bulgaria and in its boundaries are included approximately 100 caves. More than 600 caves are included within the boundaries of National and Natural parks. The total number of Bulgarian karst phenomena protected by the Law is approximately 850. All species of cave invertebrate animals and all species of bats are protected by the Act for protection of the Nature. Natural phenomena and historic places are in total 114 Bulgarian caves. Key-words: karst, caves, Nature protection, Bulgaria The karst and karst formations are natural phenomena, that have their own specific characteristics, fauna and flora. At the same time the karst regions in Bulgaria and the caves in particular are sources of various information about the material and spiritual culture of the human kind, the animal and floral world, ' Speleo Club “Helicti Bulgarian Federation of Speleology, e-mail:alex@ speleo-bg.comwhich used to live on the planet in prehistoric and historic times. That is why every ill-balanced human activity, including the speleological one, could destroy the natural karst state and might bring to fatal damages for the nature, the science and culture. If there are no speleology, the human presence in the caves would not influence the natural karst environment, where negative changes would be due only to external factors. It is not possible to stop the speleology development, that is why one of the baisc tasks of the speleologists is to protect the caves, keeping the balance between their specific activity under and over the ground in direction to protect natural karst environment. This is an important task not only for the cavers, but for every citizen, who should to know how to protect the caves and karst regions. The caves offer unique living conditions — specific microclimate (almost constant temperature and humidity), limited or absent day light, which develop unique fauna, The most vulnerable part of this cave fauna are the invertebrate animals. Up to now we know 704 kinds of invertebrate animals, which inhabit the Bulgarian caves. 97 kinds of them are terrestial troglobites and more than 50 are stygobionts (Beron, 1994). Most of the invertebrate animals — inhabitants of the caves are endemic, which could exist only in certain area or even in a separate cave. That is why the destroying of the fauna of a single cave could bring to the extinction of whole animal specie forever. Bulgarian endemits are 166 species and 25 generas. This is the reason why all species of cave invertebrate animals are protected by the Act for protection of the Nature. The bats are the only mamals, which are adapted for cave life. In our country are spread all 30 species known in Europe. 23 of these species of bats use the caves, the niches and rock cracks for all-year or temporary shelters (Ivanona et all.,1999). A number of Bulgarian caves are natural sites protected by law, especially as shelters of large bats colonies and unique invertebrate cave fauna. Such “bats caves” are Pamnitchite nea vill. Bezanovo, Ponora near vill. Chiren, Sedlarkata near vill. Rakita, Morovitza near vill. Glozene, Nanin kamak near vill. Muselievo, Devetashka cave near vill. Devetaki and many others. All species of bats in Bulgaria are protected by law. The law forbids their hunting and killing, the lighting of fire in the caves or cave entrances, entering the caves during the mating season, as well as all other activities, which might disturb or drive away the bats from their inhabitats. Some birds also live in the caves. They could be divided into two main groups: birds nesting in the caves and birds using the caves as shelters. 192Most typical are the representatives of the first group: Apus melba, Hirundo daurica, Pyrrhocorax graculus and Coluba livia. In times of bad weather conditions in the entrances of the caves come different kinds of swallows, field partridges, and during the day here come also different kinds of owls. Some of them occasionally nest in the entrance area of the caves. Third group of birds are these, which do not nest in the caves, but use for this purpose rock grounds or openings of small caves and niches in the vertical rocks. Here are included rare and endangered species with extremely narrow habitat nowadays like: the rock eagle, the small vulture, the hunting falcon, the owl, the black stork, etc. These birds are also protected by the law. The cave sediments contain material remains of the culture of the man from the Palaeolyth to the Middle Ages and bone material of animals, lived before and after the advent of the rational man (Homo sapiens). Usually the cave sediments preserve well these remains. Because of the specifics of the cave sedimentation all contained in the deposits materials lay in chronological consequence. Every disruption of the consequence of the layers in the cave deposits makes impossible to date correctly the excavated finds. In order to protect the remains of the human culture and the ancient animal world and to preserve the scientific value of the finds, in the legislation in Bulgaria we have Act of the Monuments of Cuture and Museums and Regulations for its application. Accordingly, the undertaking of any excavations or terrain archaeological work in the country, including caves, is permitted only to the Archaeologiacl Institute of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences or relevant competent institutions and specialists. The caves have scientific, cultural, aestetical and economic importance. The Act for protection of the Nature and protected areals gives the opportunity to put some caves with scientific, historical or cultural value or specific natural beauty under special protection, The same could be done to karst sites (springs, rocki bridges, gorges, kanyons, etc.). The protected areas in Bulgaria include: the Reserves, the National Parks, the Natural Parks, the Natural Phenomena, the Protected sites, the Protected plants and animals. The category of protection of caves and other karst phenomena, requires different rules for protection and usage. The surrface and underground karst landforms in the Reserves have the most effective protection. This is based on the fact, that on the territory of the reserves is prohibited any economic activity, as well as every action, which disrupt the natural and unique character of the natural environment. In this way in Bulgaria are protected over 80 caves in the confines of biosphere reserves “Steneto” and “Boatin” in Middle Stara planina, the reserve “Vratza karst”, 193“Bayovi dupki” and “Dupki-Dzindzeritza”, North Pirin, “Kupena” and “Kastrakli” in the Rhodopi mountains. The visit and camping in the reserves can be done only after special permission by the Ministry of the environment and waters (MEW). Natural phenomena and historic places include 114 Bulgarian caves. They are protected together with their surroundings by a law, which is signed by the Minister of the environment and waters and is published in State paper. In the Act are mentioned the protected area of the site and forbidden activities, like opening of quarryes near by, braking the formations, scribbling on the walls, lighting the fire, pollution and other activities, which damage the sites. The caves, protected as habitats of bats colonies are not allowed to ented during the mating and breeding season. Apart from caves are protected also other phenomena of the surface karst like the karst springs, rock bridges, gorges and kanyons, travertine waterfalls and cascades. For instance, in this category are included 12 karst kanyons and gorges and 9 karst springs. (Kostov, 2001). Usualy they are put into the category protected sites. Protected sites are separate areas with surface and undergroud karst formations. Some of the famous protected areas in Bulgaria are the kanyon of the river Chernelka near vill. Gortalovo, and the karst valley near vill. Petarnitca, Pleven region; the kanyon of the river Negovanka and the countryside “Ponorite” near vill. Musina, Veliko Tarnovo region; the place “Zlosten” near Kotel; the Trigrad and Buinovo gorges in the Rhodopi mountain. Protected areas have also 4 karst springs: in the place “Yamata”, Stara Zagora region; “Kioshkata” near Razlog; “The Medven springs” near vill. Medven, Kotel region and “Glava Panega” near vill. Zlatna Panega, Lovetch region. In the protected areas the regulations allow only economic activities, which do not damage the conditions of the natural landscape. National and Natural Parks are large protected areas where are situated caves and regions with surface karst. The use of the ores and minerals on the territory of the parks, including caves, is limited in order not to damage the natural balance of the environment. In all protected parks are situated about 600 caves and pits. The Act of Protection of Nature protects a total number of about 850 Bulgarian caves. (Jalov, 1990). The offenders of the law are endorsed according to the Act, its Regulations for application, the Rates for compensation after causing irrevocable damages in the protected areas and the Criminal Code of Republic of Bulgaria. 194Some Bulgarian caves are protected by other laws like the Act of the Monuments of Culture and Museums or the Act of the Waters. In the first category for instance, are included the Devetaki cave (monument of culture with national importance), the rock monasteries near vill. Ivanovo, Russe district (monument of culture with world importance, protected by UNESCO); the natural and archaeological reserve “Yailata” near vill. Kamen briag, Dobrich district, etc. The offenders of the Act of the Monuments of Culture and Museums have administrative and retributive responsibility. According ot the Bulgarian Constitution and legislation of the country, every Bulgarian citizen, public or state organisation can promote a well-grounded proposition for proclaming protected areas. of natural phenomena (including caves or karst regions). This can be done in the offices of local Inspections of the Ministry of environment and waters or in the Institute for Monuments of Culture. There is also an opportunity to restrict temporary the access to separate caves. For this purpose is necessary to inform the relevant owners, state or public organisations. During the time of proclaimed restriction every unathorised activity is punished by the law. It is nesessary to know that the proclaiming of natural sites for protected ones does not change the regime of ownership. It only puts the use and protection of the site under special law conditions. According to the Act of Waters there is forbidden regime for penetraing of water caves, which waters are used for drinking water supply and are in the region of a catch ent area and especially in the protected areas of karst springs, which are used for the same purpose. Some caves of this category are the Water cave near vill. Tzerovo, Sofia district, Garvanitza near vill. Kososvo, Assenovgrad area; Vodni pech near vill. Dolni Lom, Vidin district; the cave near Kotel karst springs; the cave near vill. Galata, Lovetch area, the caves in the water-supply area of the karst spring near vill. Cherni Osam, Troyan district, etc. The penetrating in the caves-springs of drinking water can be done only by the special permission of the relevant authorities of the waters, the local structures of Hygienic-epidemiologic Inspection and Ministry of the environment and waters. The offenders are sanctioned. At the moment specialists from Bulgarian Federation of Speleology work over a Draft Law for Karst and Cave Protection. This Project is assigned to the Federation by the Ministry of Environment and Waters. The Draft is provided to be presented to the Bulgarian Parliament for approval in 2005. We hope that 195this Act will offer effective solutions to main problems of karst and cave protection in our country. REFERENCES Beron, P. (1994) Resultats des recherches biospeleologiques en Bulgarie de 1971 a 1994 et liste des annimaux cavernicoles bulgares.- Serie Traneteeeva-1, Edition of Federation bulgare de speleologie, Sofia. Daaliev, Tr., A.Benderev, A.Jalov (1997) Protection of the caves.- Edition of Bulgarian Federation of —Speleology,Sofia. (in Bulgarian) Ivanova, T., B.Petrov, A.Georgieva (1999) The Bats. Edition of BatResearch&Protection Group,Sofia.(in Bulgarian) Kostov,K.(2001) Problems of the karst landforms-protected Geotopes in Bulgaria.Karst,v.1, Proc.First National conference on Environment and Cultural Heritage in Karst,Sofia 10-11 November 2000. (in Bulgarian) Jalov, A. (1990) Protected caves and karst areas in Bulgaria. Speleopractica, December, Sofia. (in Bulgarian) 196