The management and security of the reserve is carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Protected Areas Act (SG 133/11.11.1998).

  The protection status, the authority of the institution, which manages and guards the protected area, as well as the penalties it can impose for law violations, are as follows:

  Art. 16 (1) Natural intact ecosystems are declared reserves. These ecosystems contain typical and/or distinctive wild plant and animal species and their habitats.

  (2) The reserves are managed with the purpose:

  1. To preserve their original state;

  2. Of scientific and educational activities and/or ecological monitoring;

  3. Preservation of the genetic resources;

  4. Preservation of the natural habitats and populations of protected and rare species; extinguishing and relict species.

  5. Development of a network of representative ecosystems and habitats in Bulgaria and Europe.

  Art. 17 (1) In the reserves are allowed only the following activities:

  1. Security activities and protection of the reserve;

  2. Visits with scientific purposes;

  3. Passing on the marked paths with educational purposes;

  4. Obtaining seed material, wild plants and animals with scientific purposes or with the purpose to rehabilitate their species at other places in quantity, way and time which will not disturb the ecosystems;

  5. (New - SG 28 dated 2002, amended 77/2002) Fire extinguishing and sanitary activities in forests that are damaged in consequence of natural disasters.

  (2) The routes and paths under par. 1, point 3, are defined by order of the Minister of Environment and Waters;

  (3) The visits under par. 1, points 2 and 4, are carried out with the permission of the Ministry of Environment and Waters;

  (4) (New - SG 28/2002, amended 77/2002) The sanitary activities under par. 1, point 5, are carried out with the permission of the Ministry of Environment and Waters, issued after obtaining a positive scientific standpoint from the Bulgarian Academy of Science and a positive decision from the National Council on biological diversity.

In application of his authority:

  Art. 79 (1) The Minister of Environment and Waters can suspend:

  1. Orders issued by state organizations which are breaching this act or do not conform with approved activities in the protected areas;

  2. Realization of structural and technical plans and projects, which are approved against the norms of this act.

  (2) The directors of the regional divisions of the Ministry of Environment and Waters:

  1. Suspend all activities of usage of forests, lands and water sources, as well as construction activities in the protected areas, which are in breach of the duly approved plans for management, structural and technical plans and projects or which do not conform to the provisions of this act when the above mentioned plans and projects do not exist;

  2. Suspend activities and close sites which damage or contaminate the environment above the permissible levels in the protected areas;

  3. Suspend orders of the regional inspections of forests, state forestry and municipality authorities, which breach the provisions of this act in regard to the protected areas;

  4. Issue directions for measures of avoiding and removing the consequences of damage or contamination of the environment in the protected areas;

  (3) (Amended - SG 77/2002) The directors of the regional inspections of forests, the state forestry and the managing bodies of the natural parks, as well as the municipality mayors, are obliged to suspend activities and construction works in forests, lands and water sources in the protected areas, which are state, municipality or private property, if these activities are carried out in violation of the approved management plans or structural and technical plans and projects.

  Art. 80. The compulsory administrative measures can be appealed against under the norms of the Administrative Proceedings Act.

The administrative penalties for violation of the law are as follows:

  Art. 81. (1) Penalty of 500 to 5000 BGL is imposed to a person who:

  1. Carries out activities in the protected areas, which are in violation of the procedures of this act, as well as the approved plans and projects under Chapter four.

  2. Carries out activities in the protected areas without a permission or approval, provisioned in this act;

  (2) When the activities under par. 1, points 1 and 2 are construction activities, the penalty amounts from 5000 to 20 000 BGL. When the activities are terrain development, the penalty amounts from 2000 to 20 000 BGL.

  (3) In inessential cases the penalty is from 5 to 100 BGL.

  Art. 83 (1) A penalty of 1000 to 10 000 BGL or, alternatively, property sanctions are imposed to a sole trader or a company which:

  1. Carries out activities in the protected areas, which are in violation of the procedures of this act, as well as the approved plans and projects under Chapter four.

  2. Carries out activities in the protected areas without a permission or approval, provisioned in this act;

  (2) When the activities under par. 1, points 1 and 2 are construction activities or terrain development, the penalty amounts from 5000 to 50 000 BGL.

  (3) In inessential cases the penalty is from 100 to 1000 BGL.

  Art. 84 (1) The belongings which are the subject of the violationa and the belongings which are the tools by means of which the violation was done in the protected areas - an exclusive state property, are confiscated in behalf of the state.