Bulgaria moves away from plan to control FMD by fence
Bulgaria has scrapped its idea to build a border fence with Turkey that was supposed to keep animals infected with Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) from entering the country. Bulgaria cannot afford the construction of the planned 181 km border fence.
Instead, the country has now decided to impose tighter border control instead.
Last week, Bulgaria’s agriculture minister Miroslav Naydenov declared that stronger control will be imposed by veterinary physicians and forest rangers. Experts will carry out an increased amount of tests for Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD).
Reasons
He stated that the reasons for the government’s decision to cancel its intentions to build a border fence are financial and environmental. The total cost of the expensive project was estimated at a total of 28 million lev (almost €14 million), and the Bulgarian government has nowhere to come up with the money.
In addition, the fence would have crossed nine protected areas, which would require more environmental reports.
The construction of a border fence with Turkey was proposed after an outbreak of FMD in South Eastern Bulgaria in the beginning of 2011 was blamed on the infiltration of infected wild animals coming from Turkey.
