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Sofia, 1 May 2011. In order to protect endangered sturgeon species, Bulgaria decided to ban sturgeon fishing in May 2011. Romania was the first country to implement a sturgeon fishing ban in the Danube in 2006 and is now followed by its southern neighbour.

The Danube begins at the confluence of the Brigach and Breg Rivers in the city of Donaueschingen located in the Black Forest, Baden-Württemberg. The German Danube catchment area covers an area of about 56,200 km²; its share of the total Danube catchment area is approx. 7%. The German Danube basin is bordered by the Rhine basin to the west and the Elbe River basin to the east.

Organic pollution has been on the rise in the Danube over the last century, as human activities have resulted in increasing loads of wastewater rich in organic matter. The most serious organic pollution problems occur in tributaries that regularly receive untreated or inadequately treated wastewater from industrial plants and municipalities. Thanks to the significant improvement of wastewater infrastructure and services in the Danube countries, the basin-wide organic emissions reduced by 60% since the mid 2000s.

The territory of Bulgaria is 110,912 km². The country is characterized by a rich diversity in morphological, geological, geomorphological, hydro-climatic and soil-biogenic aspects.