Georgia Detains Bulgarian Cargo Ship

Georgian border guards detained a ship flying the Bulgarian flag at the Black Sea port of Batumi on Sunday for allegedly trespassing the Georgian sea border in September, the Itar-Tass news agency reported. "The ship arrived in Batumi on Sunday. It was detained for trespassing the Georgian sea border on Sept. 8-9. Back then the vessel visited the Sukhumi seaport without the consent of Georgian authorities," a border official was quoted as saying.MV Bulmarket 1The vessel Bulmarket 1 was carrying 13 crewmembers, all of them Bulgarian nationals, Itar-Tass said. "The Bulgarian consulate in Poti has been informed of the detention of the vessel and the punishment stipulated by Georgian laws in such cases," the official said. Georgian border guards have detained dozens of foreign vessels over the past three years for allegedly trespassing the sea border, breaching navigation rules and poaching. Most of the ships were released after fines were paid.