Black Sea fishing firms say the tension in the region has put them in force majeure, and they will ask the state for aid under the de minimis scheme. Yordan Gospodinov, executive director of the BG Fish association and chair of the Black Sea Advisory Council, said this in Varna.

The scheme allows state aid in cases of force majeure, and fishing is in that position, Gospodinov explained. He believes the Bulgarian state must protect the sector. An appeal is being prepared asking the authorities in Bulgaria and Romania to help fishermen.

The council, which is meeting in Varna today, has 15 Bulgarian and foreign associations as members.

Many of the big fishing vessels refuse to go out to sea. Some crews do not want to sail at all, while others fish only close to the coast. As of yesterday, the biggest fishing companies that own processing plants had caught 50% of what they caught last year. Gospodinov added that the problem of the plants that process fish should not be underestimated.

Bulgaria's fishing fleet has 1,740 vessels, 100 of them large ships that fish beyond the 12-mile zone. In the economic zone, fishing is now too risky.

The fear is not that someone will deliberately shoot at the ships, but that they may hit mines or fallen drones carrying explosives, Gospodinov said. Crews have reported suspicious objects in the water to the authorities. So far there have been no incidents involving Bulgarian fishing boats.

In Romania, fishermen prefer to stay in port, and vessels are tied up at the quays. In both countries the situation is tense even for smaller boats, although they fish relatively close to shore, according to Gospodinov.

He is convinced that the fish in the sea have disappeared. He is not a scientist and cannot name the cause, but he says it is most likely linked to explosions and sinking ships. Gospodinov expects the smaller catch to push prices up: Black Sea fish will become scarcer and more expensive.