| Bystroye Canal | |
|---|---|
 Map of the canal | |
 | |
| Country | Ukraine |
| Geography | |
| Direction | East |
| Start point | Danube |
| End point | Black Sea |
| Beginningcoordinates | 45°20′24″N29°39′19″E / 45.3400°N 29.6553°E /45.3400; 29.6553 |
| Endingcoordinates | 45°20′18″N29°45′49″E / 45.3383°N 29.7635°E /45.3383; 29.7635 |
TheDeepwater Navigation Course "Danube – Black Sea" is a deep-watercanal in theDanube Delta that runs through the Danube Delta distributaries Chilia, Old Istambul and "Bystroe" or "Bystre". Through most of its length it coincides with theRomania-Ukraine border that stretches along Danube. The canal is served by the Ukrainian state companyUkrainian Sea Ports Authority and itspiloting services branchDelta Lotsman. A portion of the canal, Bystroe, which stretches through the territory of Ukraine rather than along the main course raised concerns inRomania which emphasized ecological issues as it stretches through the Ukrainian Biosphere Reserve "Danube Delta".
Originally the distributary (Bystroe or Bystre) of Danube Delta was among the main Soviet (andSoviet Ukraine) waterways until 1959, when its exploitation stopped due tosilting that occurred after Romanian authorities on a political initiative created ownDanube – Black Sea Canal away from the border with the Soviet Union.[1]
After theProrva distributary became silted in 1997, Ukraine was left without its own deep-watercanal between the Danube and the Black Sea. According to the Ukrainian NGOInternational Centre for Policy Studies, the use of RomanianSulina distributary costs Ukraine ₴0.7-1.2 million annually.[2]
There was[when?] a project proposed byUkraine to reopen its navigation. According to official Ukrainian plans, it was to be completed in 2008. The intent was to provide a deep-water route from theDanube to theBlack Sea under Ukrainian control, in order to reduce ship transit costs and provide an alternate route toRomania.
Initial dredging started in 2004 and the canal was declared open on May 10, 2007, for ships not exceeding 4.5 meters in draft.[3][4]
Along the whole course of the Ukrainian deepwater shipping course there established modern systems of navigation and shipping safety. Navigational equipment of the sea shipping courses corresponds to the system of theInternational Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA), region A; and the Basic provisions on navigation along Danube.
The shipping safety is provided by marine pilots and other piloting services of the Ukrainian state companyDelta Lotsman. Navigational services are provided with modern specialized ships, GPS coastal stations, AIS coastal navigation as well as radar automated posts.
All objects are integrated into one regional system of ship traffic management "Dunai" which provides not only ship traffic safety, but also greatly improves efficiency of ship traffic. The traffic participants are presented with operational meteorological and hydrological information, traffic status information, factors that might complicate shipping, etc. According to the Ministerial order #132 of 24 May 2005 for navigation and hydrographic provision of Danube shipping safety is responsible the state company "Derzhhidrohrafiya".
The pilot project provides a traffic speed limit of ships along the sea access canal and Bystroe distributary 7knots. At the other sites of shipping course the speed is regulated by local rules of shipping. It is recommended to limit the approach of vessels to sea access canal at wind speeds of over 15 meters per second and a wave height of 2 meters.
Ecologists, including theWorld Wildlife Fund, have raised significant concerns about damage to the Danube Deltaecosystem.[5][6] An inquiry commission established under the auspices of theConvention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (of which Romania and Ukraine are both signatories) unanimously decided that the canal would have a significant adverse ecological impact.[7]
In 2004 theEuropean Commission issued a "Statement on Opening of Bystroye Canal in Ukraine" saying that "The European Commission deeply regrets the reported opening to navigation of the initial part of the Bystroye canal between the River Danube and the Black Sea. The canal route goes through a specially protected UNESCO World Heritage area in the Danube Delta which is also subject to the internationalRamsar Convention on the protection of wetlands."[8] The Ukrainian NGOInternational Centre for Policy Studies also protested the decision of the Ukrainian government, writing that "in its desire to get the canal as soon as possible, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine did not pay proper attention to considering all the alternatives, and approved an unjustified decision that violates Ukraine’s environmental interests and will heap greater expenditures upon the budget than those intended to be reduced by the building of the canal".[2]
After the apparent failure of diplomatic efforts, the government ofRomania, where most of the Danube Delta lies, is reportedly considering building a 20 kmcanal that would absorb the Danube's water upstream of Ukraine's small piece of the river, in order to render the planned Bastroye Channel useless and thereby discourage Ukraine from attempting such a project. The Romanian canal would be designed so that it could be shut at any time, returning the river more or less to its current state.[9]
The Danube Delta has been aUNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991. TheEuropean Union has repeatedly asked Ukraine to halt the project, as have Romania and theUnited States. TheWorldwide Fund for Nature has said the canal threatens the delta's most important wetland, where 70 percent of the world'swhite pelicans and 50 percent ofpygmy cormorants live.
The official inauguration of the project was scheduled for Ukrainian Independence Day August 24, 2004, but was postponed until August 26. On August 24, around 140non-profit organisations andtrade unions submitted an open letter at the Ukrainian embassy inBucharest, Romania saying the project may endanger more than 280birdspecies and 45freshwaterfish species living in the delta. "If Ukraine goes ahead with its plan ... the delta will become a fetid swamp," said a statement by one of the unions. On August 26 Ukraine officially inaugurated the project and the Romanian government announced plans to bring alawsuit against Ukraine atThe Hague-basedInternational Court of Justice, invoking theRamsar Convention onwetlands.
In May 2005, parties of theAarhus Convention agreed on political sanctions against Ukraine. Ukraine announced the temporary halt of the project in June, 2005.In February 2006 "The Conference for the Sustainable Development of the Danube Delta" was held inOdesa with participation of Romania, Moldova and Ukraine and involved international organizations, work on the channel is still planned in accordance with international conventions.
 | This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(August 2017) |
In 2023, after 20 years of dispute, Romania and Ukraine reached an agreement according to which Romania would not object to Ukraine's expansion of the canal as long as the project complied with environmental protection provisions.[10]
