Officials from Bulgaria, Romania and international bodies met in Burgas to discuss how they manage, monitor and check fishing in the Black Sea, Bulgaria's Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture (EAFA) said.

The meeting took place at the annual stakeholder conference on the Black Sea Common Maritime Agenda (CMA), which opened today in Burgas and runs for three days.

EAFA executive director Hristo Panayotov and deputy agriculture minister professor Ivan Paligorov represented Bulgaria. Romania sent Dragoş Simion, head of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Agency (ANPA), and Gabriel Popescu, the agency's director of maritime policy and inspections.

Konstantin Petrov, chair of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean and Black Sea (GFCM), also took part. Talks centred on joint work between EAFA, GFCM, ANPA and Ukraine's Fisheries and Aquaculture Agency, with participants focusing mainly on sharing practical experience. They also discussed closer coordination on managing, monitoring and checking fishing across the Black Sea.

Panayotov said the agency is ready to share its know-how and build closer ties with Romania and Ukraine.

Paligorov formally opened the conference alongside Charlina Vitcheva, director-general of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, and Burgas deputy regional governors Georgi Madzharov and Veselin Anestiev.

The forum brings together European and national institutions, scientists, business representatives and international organisations to look at ways to develop the Black Sea region. Over the three days, participants will share experience and swap ideas on developing the Black Sea and managing it sustainably in future.