Heavy machinery has been tearing through one of Europe’s most ecologically important coastal habitats [1] since late April, without permits, without an environmental impact assessment, and with the Albanian government providing false explanations to parliament.
The destruction is taking place at the Pishë Poro–Narta Protected Area, within the Vjosa–Narte Protected Landscape, part of the delta of the Vjosa, one of Europe’s last wild rivers. A luxury resort development backed by Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, has been planned for the same area [2]. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has confirmed that the construction is directly connected [3].
The area shelters over 70 endangered species and more than 200 bird species, including Flamingos and Dalmatian Pelicans. It sits on the Adriatic Flyway, a critical migration corridor for millions of birds traveling between Africa and Europe each year. The surrounding waters are among the last Mediterranean refuges for the Mediterranean Monk Seal, one of the world’s most endangered marine mammals, and a key nesting ground for the Loggerhead Sea Turtle. BirdLife’s Albanian Partner PPNEA has called the scale of destruction unprecedented – the worst ever recorded in Albania’s protected areas.
