The protesters wound their way toward the Ukranian embassy in Bucharest to deliver a letter of protest to the ambassador. They carried placards reading "Don't poison our Delta" and "Kutchma: don't forget, the delta's not yours", in reference to Ukranian president Leonid Kutchma.

The march was timed to coincide with the official inauguration by Ukraine of the controversial canal, which will give Ukraine a navigable route between the Danube and the Black Sea. But the authorities in Kiev postponed the ceremony by a few days, the Romanian foreign ministry said.

The Danube Delta, classed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation), contains one of the world's most important wetlands and is a breeding and feeding ground for many endangered species of bird. Environmentalists fear the canal could disrupt the area's delicate ecosystem.

Bucharest asked the UN on Monday to create an international commission to evaluate the environmental impact of the canal, which crosses several kilometres of the delta nature reserve.

The canal is scheduled to go into operation by the end of this year, although construction work will continue until 2008.

The United States on Monday voiced "deep concern" about the possible environmental consequences. The European Union has also urged Ukraine to halt work on the canal, a warning echoed by German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

The delta nature reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1991, is home to around 90 species of fish and 300 species of bird, including several rare and endangered species.

TERRA.WIRE