A new safety regulation in the aftermath of the Lake Ohrid disaster, in which 15 Bulgarians lost their lives, states that teenagers under the age of 18, will not longer be allowed to jet ski or board tourist ships and other sailing vessels along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, without the express permission of their parents, Novinar.net reported on December 3 2009.

Parents, mentors and legal guardians must fill in a declaration that they permit their children to board the vessels. The security requirements were introduced by the Bulgarian Cabinet and will encompass all kinds of navigation vessels.

Bulgarian captains are obliged to ensure that under no circumstances will they allow an excess weight of passengers on board their ships. They are required to enter every name in their logbooks, and inform the authorities after every journey about the number of passengers who boarded the vessel, and the number disembarking.

Jet ski and water ski companies are required to request clients' ID cards. Teenagers under the age of 18 must obtain parental permission and the jet skis are not allowed to go any further in the sea than one kilometre from the buoy.

All tourists are required to be in possession of a personal life jacket, and must sign a document that they are familiar with the equipment, safety procedures and how to use it. Passengers will no longer be allowed to jump in the water anymore from the ships, yachts or boats as was previously the case.

Finally, captains are not allowed to steer the vessels under the influence of any perception-altering substances.

On September 5, 15 Bulgarian tourists drowned in the Ohrid Lake after the Ilinden ship, built in the early 1920s, capsized with nearly 70 people on board.