The National Agency of Fisheries and Aquaculture (NAFA) in Bourgas issued three fines in only one week.

NAFA inspectors seized 80 kg of mussels, which were afterwards returned to the sea, Dnevnik daily reported.

Greek citizens regularly export white sand mussels from Bulgaria, Bourgas’ NAFA director Djemil Kadish said.

Greeks were coming as unorganised tourists with personal vehicles equipped with special clothes and hunting devices. Since Bulgaria joined the European Union, borders with Greece are easily crossed and Greek citizens export large quantities of mussels using their cars, Kadish said.

Customs officers at border checkpoint Kapitan Petko Voivoda in Svilengrad detained five Greek citizens who were trying to export 730 kg of mussels. Another four Greek people tried to export 370 kg.

One of the most expensive varieties of mussels costs 25 euro a kg in Greece.