Dear Colleagues!
We will be very appreciate of you if sighing the Petition you join to our efforts for approval of the Draft Low of Caves! Please spread this info among caving community in your country! Thank you in advance!
Petition for approval the Cave protection draft form Bulgarian Parliament
TO THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA
TO THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS OF THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We the 900 members of the 35 caves club, united by the Bulgarian Federation of Speleology (BFSp), insist that Bulgarian state must take expansive measures for the protection of our caves!

Following the 80-year activity of hundreds of cavers throughout the country were studied and mapped around 6 000 caves. Most of them is with scientific, cultural, aesthetic and economic importance:

- In the Suhi Pecs (Kozarnika) (1 600 000 – 1 400 000 ) , Bacho Kiro, and Temnata Doupka Cave , and many other caves we have the oldest traces of human culture in Europe;
- Hundreds of Bulgarian caves were used as sanctuaries and monasteries with religious purpose;
- Bulgarian caves are inhabited by over 800 unique species of cave animals;
- Bulgarian caves are the habitat of the largest bat colonies in Europe;
- 40 Bulgarian caves are used for residential and business water supply;
- In Bulgarian caves were discovered over 50 species of cave minerals;
- Bulgarian caves thousands of unique concretions (stalagmites, stalactites, etc;
- 9 tourist caves are open for the public and welcome thousands of tourists;
- 124 caves, karst formations and springs are on the list of our national geological heritage.

Ensure that existing laws, in most cases, formal and incomplete, preserving only those karst terrain and objects that are part of protected areas - national and natural parks, reserves and natural monuments - or are part of the NATURA 2000 network in Bulgaria.

Under the most serious imminence are caves that are not protected by existing laws, as are almost all (5 100) of surveyed caves in Bulgaria so far. They are subject to destructive and unpunished human activities - changes in their physical integrity - their distortion of the wrap, destruction of cave formations, cave fauna destruction, illegal business career, treasure and many others.
In 2004, in accordance with EU Directive 92/43, the Agreement on the Protection of European Bats (EUROBATS), in which Bulgaria is a party and 26/93 on the recommendation of the Commission, the Ministry of Environment and Water commission of the Bulgarian team Federation of Speleology to develop a draft Law on the caves.
The purpose of the bill was to put the protection of caves in Bulgaria before any other interests. He was adopted by the Council of Ministers and deposited in the 39th National Assembly. After never reached the Chamber, the law was submitted for consideration by the 40 th National Assembly and was passed on first reading by the Commission on the Environment and Water. Time for second reading of the draft by the committee and not come back do not get to discuss it in plenary.
What are the consequences?
Continue with even more appalling destructive power in the Bulgarian caves:
- Their outstanding property raises serious problems with their conservation and environmentally-use;
- Constantly increasing number of illegal dumpsites in caves;
- Many caves have been destroyed or threatened by destruction of the career activities;
- Impunity to pollute springs and karst cave rivers with unpredictable consequences for population health using these water sources;
- Increased illegal trade in caves;
- Unscrupulous treasure hunters destroy priceless hand continuous layers of human history and civilization;
- Irregular tour operation destroys the natural integrity of the caves and adversely affect the habitats of rare and endangered animal species - bats, birds, underground invertebrate fauna.
Exposing all these problems, and in this and our concerns, we believe that effective protection of the Bulgarian caves can be decided only by the adoption by the National Assembly Act caves!
We hope that the Bulgarian National Assembly will not allow our caves, which are an integral part of Bulgarian natural and universal, cultural and historical heritage to be lost for future generations.
For this we turn to Ms. Tsetska Tsacheva - Chairman of the National Assembly and to all Bulgarian MPs and to Mr. Boyko Borisov - Prime Minister of Bulgaria Rebublika take to heart the fate of the Bulgarian caves and to arrange for the introduction and adoption of Law of the caves!
In the text of the bill can be found at today's National Assembly or the site.

Let us with intelligence, and joint efforts will preserve 6-thousand Bulgarian caves!
Add the necessary information below: First window: your first and second names window: occupation (city, town, ect.) Third window: Country Fourth window: your e-mail address You will receive e-mail for confirmation of your sign !