While Albania increasingly focuses on luxury tourism as an economic driver, protests are growing against one of the most controversial projects of recent years: the maxi resort linked to Jared KushnerAmerican entrepreneur and son-in-law of American President Donald Trump, expected in the protected area of Vjosa-Narta and on the island of Sazan.
A case which, amid accusations of environmental devastation, contested legislative changes, repressed protests and an investigation opened by the Albanian anti-corruption prosecutor’s office, is taking on international importance, since it involves one of the most precious natural areas of the Balkans and comes as Albania continues its path towards the European Union.
According to environmental organisations, in fact, since the end of April heavy vehicles have been operating within the protected area of Pishë Poro-Narta, part of the protected landscape of Vjosa-Narta, one of the most important coastal areas in Europe from an ecological point of view. Over 70 threatened species and more than 200 bird species find refuge here, including flamingos and the curly pelican. The area is also located along the so-called “Adriatic Flyway”, one of the main migratory routes connecting Africa to Europe.
The surrounding waters are also home to one of the last Mediterranean populations of monk seals, among the most threatened marine mammals in the world, and important nesting sites for the Caretta caretta sea turtle.
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According to the Albanian environmental association PPNEA, local partner of BirdLife International, what is happening represents “the worst episode of destruction ever recorded in an Albanian protected area“The complaints speak of interventions carried out without complete authorizations, without a definitive environmental impact assessment and even before the final approval of the tourism project.
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The damage already documented includes the deposition of gravel on ancient sand dunes protected by Albanian legislation and the obstruction of one of the two natural channels that connect the Narta lagoon to the Adriatic Sea. Which means that blocking the natural exchange of water risks compromising the entire food chain of the lagoon ecosystem, with consequences for fish, birds and local biodiversity. Some of the damage caused may take hundreds of years to repair.
The anti-corruption prosecutor’s investigation
Making the matter even more delicate is the intervention of Spak, the Albanian special anti-corruption prosecutor’s office, which confirmed the opening of an investigation into the changes made in 2024 to the legislation on protected areas and land ownership rights. Precisely these changes would have paved the way for tourism development in areas that until recently enjoyed much more stringent protection.
The investigation aims to shed light on the legitimacy of the decisions that allowed the real estate project to proceed.
The protests and the barbed wire on the beach
Tension exploded at the end of May when high fences topped with barbed wire were installed in the Zvernec area, preventing residents and tourists from freely accessing the beach. The images of the barriers fueled the anger of the local population and environmental organizations, who organized demonstrations both on site and in the capital Tirana.
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Environmentalists also denounce episodes of repression against demonstrators and ask for guarantees on the right to protest peacefully.
Meanwhile, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama denied that the project concerns a protected nature reserve and declared that the final proposal has not yet been formally presented. Furthermore, he claimed that the environmental impact study had not yet been completed and rejected accusations of environmental violations.
BirdLifeEurope asked the European Commission to intervene, underlining how the destruction of protected habitats, the repression of peaceful protests and the dissemination of information contested in Parliament are incompatible with the standards required of a candidate country for membership.
The fact is that the Vjosa-Narta case today represents much more than a local controversy: it is the symbol of the clash between biodiversity protection and intensive tourism development, a challenge that affects more and more territories in the Mediterranean.
