Bulgaria's Fisheries Agency Gets New Chair amid EU Funds Probe

The Agriculture Ministry, whose headquarters in downtown Sofia is pictured here, controls the executive fisheries agency, whose chair was dismissed amid an investigation. File photo, BGNES

The head of a state-owned fisheries company has been appointed as chair of Bulgaria's Executive Agency of Fisheries and Aquaculture (EAFA), officials say.

Valentin Valkov, who is taking over the EAFA, was previously CEO at Ribni Resursi EOOD, a company in charge of reconstruction, modernization and management of fishing ports that are public state property. He assumed his duties at the Agriculture Ministry-owned company in April of last year.

His predecessor, Yancho Yanchev, was detained in a probe into the misuse of EU funding and subsequently dismissed.

The EAFA manages a EUR 113 M fisheries program, EUR 88 M of them being allocated under EU programs.

Headquartered in Burgas, by the Black Sea, it also controls fisheries, aquaculture and first sale of fishery products.

The agency is in charge of a number of other activities, including the validation and verification of catch certificates at import or export of fishery products, granting fishing licenses and authorizations, and registration of aquaculture farms.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!