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Results of the first field audiovisual study on the cultural heritage of Danube fisheries communities from Bulgaria and Romania were announced at a press conference in Ruse.

The CEO of Bulgarian-Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Eleonora Ivanova – initiator and principal of the study, presented a comprehensive concept for the study and conservation of the fisheries’ cultural heritage as a key element in the development of new cross-border tourist routes that would bring economic benefits to the region. She also talked about the contribution of the new initiative to BCCI's mission to foster economic interaction between the two neighboring countries.

The ethnologist of the Rousse Regional Museum of History, Iskra Todorova, gave brief explanations on the creation of the survey’s methodology with the participation of Bulgarian and Romanian researchers.

As a result of the field study, 10 promotional films were created for five pairs of villages from Bulgaria and Romania with preserved fishing traditions: Silistra (Tataritsa) – Calarasi, Vetren (Srebarna) - Mostistea-Galatui, Tutrakan – Oltenitsa, Ruse (Brashlen) – Giurgiu, Vidin (Kutovo, Antimovo) – Calafat. Video recorders and ground cameras or drone cameras have documented over 100 cultural and natural heritage sites in these regions, 30 representatives of fisheries communities were interviewed. A huge number of photos, videos and texts have been created in Bulgarian, Romanian and English, which is freely available to the public for use in future research, local development planning, creation and advertisement of tourist products.

A series of photo materials, as well as one of the films of the study, were shown to the participants at the press conference.

Dimitar Lipovanski, representative of consortium “Pamet na dunavskite ribari”, talked about the products of the field audiovisual study. He conducted the research along with staff members Yavor Minchev (photographer), Ventseslav Petkov (zoologist) and Teodor Mechev (cameraman).

Many questions were raised at the press conference about the ecosystems' balance around the river, public support and financing for the preservation of the fishing craft, facilitating interactions between people on both sides of the river, etc. A large part of the issues, raised by the participants at the press conference, will be addressed in the cross-border strategic documents to be developed under the project. The materials from the field survey will be used to create and promote the new 15 cross-border tourist routes, which will encompass sites with preserved fishing traditions on both sides of the river.

The press-conference took place under project „Memofish. Memory and future. Stories about the Danube civilization“. BRCCI’s partners in its implementation are Association „Paralel–Silistra“, Rousse Regional Museum of History, Acces Association – Calarasi, Fishing Local Action Group Association „Dunarea Calaraseana“, and the financing programme is Interreg V-A Romania – Bulgaria.