Environmentalists Protest Airport Project Near Albanian Bird Sanctuary - Voice of America - VOA News

VJOSE-NARTE, Albania — 

Environmentalists protested implicit the play astatine the gathering tract of a caller airdrome successful Albania's southbound meant to boost tourism but which they accidental volition endanger sanctuaries for immoderate 200 vertebrate taxon including flamingos and pelicans.

The picturesque Vjose-Narte lagoon adjacent to Albania's Adriatic seaside is simply a important halt for flocks of birds successful their yearly migration betwixt Europe and Africa.

The authorities is gathering the airdrome conscionable 5 kilometres (3 miles) from the Adriatic seashore with pristine sandy beaches which the mediocre Balkan federation hopes volition pull much overseas tourists.

"For those who deliberation this airdrome volition bring development, successful world this airdrome volition bring lone destruction," tourer usher Alben Kola told Reuters connected Saturday arsenic helium and much than 100 environmentalists and ornithologists held their protest.

The European Union, which Albania aims to articulation 1 day, has said the airdrome project, launched successful December 2021 and owed for completion astatine the extremity of 2024, was undertaken successful contradiction with nationalist and planetary laws connected protecting biodiversity.

The committee of the Bern Convention that works to support European wildlife and earthy habitats has said Albania should suspend the operation of the airport.

"This shows that this quality wealthiness belongs not lone to america but to the full of Europe and overseas governments are doing much to support it than we do," said Joni Vorpsi, from the NGO Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment successful Albania (PPNEA) that has been warring for years to support the lagoon.

In November an Albanian tribunal rejected a suit filed by section NGOs against the operation of the airdrome but they program to appeal.

Vorpsi said the airport, which would service the confederate coastal metropolis of Vlore, not lone would destruct avian habitats but rise the hazard of craft collisions with large birds.

The Swiss steadfast starring the project, Mabetex, has said the take-off and landing paths of planes determination would not impact vertebrate routes. It said the runway would beryllium 3.5 kilometres from the vertebrate sanctuary and 5 km distant from large vertebrate migration routes.