After two dead dolphins were washed ashore in Bulgaria in just two days, on Saturday senior Bulgarian government officials refuted claims of increased death instances among Black Sea dolphins.

"We cannot speak of a higher frequency of Black Sea dolphin deaths," Detelina Ivanova, expert at the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Waters told BNR Saturday.

"In the past years, we have actually seen a larger number of dead dolphins washed ashore," she added, explaining that a total of 11 dead dolphins have been found along the Bulgarian coast in 2011 so far.

Another 11 dolphins were washed ashore in 2010 but in 2009 their number was 20, she said.

"So I wouldn't say that there are more deaths. This is a normal phenomenon that happens every year," Ivanova is quoted as saying.

According to Plamen Zahariev, head of Bulgaria's Fishery and Aqua Cultures Agency, both dolphins washed ashore in the recent days died of natural death.

"I have ordered inspections in Bulgaria's territorial waters. The fishermen really don't know that a law that incriminates the murder of animals has come into force," Zahariev declared, while vowing to meet with the Bulgarian fishing communities over the Black Sea dolphin protection measures.

In October, he plans a meeting with the respective Turkish authorities over the fishing quotas in the Black Sea.

On Friday, a dead dolphin in an advanced stage of decomposition was discovered near the southern Bulgarian resort town of Sozopol. A day earlier a dolphin was found dead in the Coral vacation complex on sea coast, allegedly with multiple machine gun shot wounds.

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