PRESS RELEASE
PPNEA and BirdLife Europe and Central Asia announce the scandal of destructive interventions in the Protected Area of Pishë Poro–Narta and violations of the conditions for European Union integration
On 4 May, Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania – PPNEA, as a partner of BirdLife International, organized a press conference together with representatives of BirdLife Europe and Central Asia, where urgent concerns were shared with the public regarding developments in the Protected Area of Pishë Poro–Narta.
The conference was attended by Ariel Brunner, Regional Director of BirdLife Europe and Central Asia, and Anouk Puymartin, Policy Director at BirdLife Europe and Central Asia, together with Aleksandër Trajçe, Director of PPNEA, and Zydjon Vorpsi, Policy Director at PPNEA.
During the conference, PPNEA presented to the public the scandal of recent interventions in the Protected Area of Pishë Poro–Narta, one of the most important coastal ecosystems in Albania and at the European level, and one of the most important parts of the protected area. In the same area, a project by Jared Kushner is also being planned. According to field verification, intensive interventions are currently taking place with unidentified machinery directly impacting the habitat. There is no official notification or information from the authorities about what is happening in the heart of the Protected Area.
This marks a clear escalation of the situation on the ground, moving from concern to a concrete reality of interventions. As emphasized during the conference, we are now facing a new situation. Beyond the optimism brought by the integration process and the legal changes requested by the European Commission, it is clearly observed on the ground that gravel and other materials are being laid, the terrain is being leveled, vegetation is being removed, and trees are being cut. Therefore, this is no longer a bureaucratic process on paper, but concrete interventions that are changing the ecological reality of the area in real time. There is a real risk that by the time the law is amended, the damage to nature may already be irreversible.
“Of course, this is a highly undesirable situation for us, as it opens the way to highly problematic developments and the destruction and alteration of natural habitats in an irreversible way. And by the time the law on protected areas is brought back in line with European Union standards, we fear that very little will remain in nature to be protected, so that this change can have a real positive effect on the ground,” emphasized Aleksandër Trajçe, Director of PPNEA.
This creates a paradoxical situation: on one hand, commitment to European standards; on the other, accelerated destruction on the ground. These interventions are taking place in a complete lack of transparency and without any public information on:
- Development projects
- Construction permits
- Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
- Mandatory public consultations
- Consultations with environmental experts
This situation shows the continuation of illegality and the level of aggression faced by Protected Areas. These developments are taking place at a critical moment for Albania, which has opened negotiations for Chapter 27 – Environment, one of the most challenging chapters of the EU integration process.
The message of the BirdLife representatives was clear:
“We have had a very constructive and open conversation, and we really hope to see the Albanian government standing up to its commitments, properly implementing EU legislation, including the Natura 2000 network and moving from protection to restoration. We have received reassurances that Albanian legislation will be adapted, or at least proposals for adapting it will be made this year. That is very positive and reassuring. What we find less reassuring is that as we speak, bulldozers are operating in a completely illegal way out there, based on unclear decisions and a lack of transparency about who made them, and this needs to stop. We have urged the minister to step in and ensure that no illegal facts on the ground are created while the legal process is still ongoing. We are certainly hopeful that the government will do its duty and uphold first Albanian legality and then European legality.”
The Pishë Poro–Nartë area is part of the Vjosë–Nartë Protected Landscape and a key node for migratory birds along the Europe–Africa corridor. Its destruction is not only a local issue; it is a blow to European biodiversity and to a vital natural system.
PPNEA and international partners call on Albanian institutions to:
- Immediately stop any interventions in the Pishë Poro–Nartë Protected Area
- Ensure full transparency of all projects and permits granted
- Conduct a full legal verification of the situation
- Strictly implement EIA and public consultation procedures
- Urgently intervene to stop all illegal activities
Albania stands before a clear choice: to enforce the law and protect its natural heritage, or to allow the creation of a dangerous precedent that undermines its European and environmental future. Developments in the coming days will show whether institutions will defend the law or allow facts on the ground to be dictated by bulldozers.
