A high-stakes environmental and civil conflict has erupted in southern Albania, where Jared Kushner’s investment firm is accused of illegally bulldozing the protected Pishë Poro-Narta wetland near the Zvërnec peninsula.
Activists protesting the development—threatening a vital habitat for flamingos and rare pelicans—were forcibly removed by masked men as police looked on. This dispute follows recent changes in Albanian parliamentary law that enable luxury construction in protected zones.
Wetland Destruction Underway
The conflict centres on the Zvërnec peninsula, located north of Vlora, which is part of the Narta wetland and the Vjosa Delta biosphere reserve. Heavy machinery has been operating for over a month, destroying dunes and forest areas without public permits.
Nearly seven kilometres of coastline, including public beaches and the 13th-century Byzantine monastery on Zvërnec Island, have been fenced off with concertina wire.
Kushner’s £14bn Resort Project
Affinity Partners, Jared Kushner’s investment firm, plans to build two luxury resorts on Albania’s southern coast, including sites at Zvërnec and Sazan Island. The Zvërnec development will feature about 1,000 beach villas and hotel rooms adjacent to a new international airport.
The on-site company, Zvërnec South Adriatic Development, holds permits linked to Kushner’s project, which is primarily funded by Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds.
Protests Met By Security
On 5 May, protesters from the group Lëvizja BASHKË marched to Zvërnec Beach but were confronted by masked men and a heavy police presence. Videos show demonstrators being forcibly removed within the fenced zone, allegedly by private security connected to the development, while riot police did not intervene.
Movement leader Arlind Qori condemned the police for their passivity during what he described as an “open abduction” of peaceful protesters.
Dubious Legal Changes Stoked Conflict
The project’s legal basis comes from a parliamentary law change enacted weeks before construction began, permitting five-star hotels in protected zones—a law widely seen as tailored specifically for this development.
The official permit, issued on 29 April 2026, has not been made publicly available.
Environmentalists claim the machinery has disrupted natural water flow between the sea and the lagoon, destroying critical habitats.
Government Defends Project
Environment Minister Sofjan Jaupaj stated that the area is classified as Category V protected, which allows tourism infrastructure, and described the current work as mere fencing and surveys.
However, conservation groups such as BirdLife Europe and EuroNatur dispute this, highlighting environmental damage and a lack of transparency.
The controversy threatens Albania’s ambitions to join the European Union and has sparked calls for Prime Minister Edi Rama to halt the developments amid ongoing anti-government protests.
The confiscation of land dating back to the communist era has further complicated local disputes.
Meanwhile, the image of a medieval monastery surrounded by razor wire and an Israeli flag marked “border” symbolizes the nation’s struggle to preserve its natural heritage against unchecked luxury developments.
Originally published by UKNIP.
