Underwater inspections ordered by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Sofia have cast serious doubts on the existence of an EU-funded black mussel farm in the Black Sea, southeast of Cape Emine in Burgas Region. The investigation suggests that the supposed farm may be nothing more than a sandy seabed.

The project, intended for the cultivation of Mytilus galloprovincialis, was approved in July 2020 under a grant agreement with a completion deadline of September 2021. Operations were reportedly to begin in July 2021. An expert from the Institute of Oceanology in Varna was officially listed as the author of the technological plan; however, EPPO’s investigation revealed that the expert neither prepared nor signed the project documentation.

Initial concerns arose in August 2021, when the State Fund for Agriculture carried out an on-site inspection following a request for final payment. Inspectors found only four boundary buoys marking the designated site, and they were unable to verify underwater installations due to insufficient equipment. Discrepancies between the declared work and the actual conditions were noted at that time.

At the EPPO’s request, a comprehensive seabed survey covering 240,000 square meters was conducted on October 1, 2025, by investigators and divers from the Burgas Regional Directorate Border Police. The team employed both aerial and underwater drones. Results showed three surface buoys at the designated coordinates, with one missing. The buoys were not interconnected, and underwater video footage revealed no infrastructure such as ropes, chains, or pipes - only sand.

The project had received a total of EUR 280,230, including EUR 210,160 from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, with the remainder covered by the national budget. The investigation, supported by the General Directorate of the National Police, is ongoing. All individuals involved are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a Bulgarian court of law.