site.btaPrice of Fishing Licence Set to Double in 2026

In 2026, a one-year recreational fishing license will cost BGN 50 instead of BGN 25, Executive Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture (EAFA) Director Nikolay Georgiev told BTA on Wednesday in Varna.

He stressed that the price of the recreational license had not been changed since 2006, and pointed out that there was not a single objection during public discussions of the agency's new fees, which is set to provide an increase in all fees by 50% to 100%. Georgiev noted that the agency's new tariff for administrative fees and services has been in the works for nearly two years, adding that the most serious revenues in the agency's budget come from recreational fishing licenses.

"Currently, a kilogram of carp on the market costs an average of BGN 10, which means that if a fisherman catches a 2.5-kilogram fish once, he can then use a state resource for practically free for a whole year," he stated, adding that at the same time, EAFA employees are expected to go out into the field regularly and have all-terrain vehicles, drones, body cameras, and speedboats at their disposal.

With the support of the state, all 40 official vehicles of the agency are now equipped with sound and light signals, the EAFA director said, adding that the 150 employees who will use a special traffic regime on the roads have undergone a training course at the Interior Ministry.