Danube-Black Sea deep-water canal economically unprofitable to Ukraine, say environmentalists

Kyiv, July 8 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Danube-Black Sea deep-water navigation canal is economically unprofitable to Ukraine, environmentalists have said.

"Experience has shown that this business has no prospects and is a waste of money. Ukraine has no economic benefit, as more funds are spent than profit received from vessel traffic," Head of the Ukrainian Ecological League Tetiana Tymochko said at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Wednesday.

She said that the issue of the construction of the Danube-Black Sea deep-water navigation canal currently remained very topical for the Ukrainian Ecological League and other environmental NGOs.

"In 2004, we proposed that the Ukrainian government refrain from building a navigation canal through the Bystre mouth. We proposed building an artificial canal to the Zhebriyanovska bay," Tymochko said.