Vlora Airport, Reuters: It is destroying the spectacular shelter of Europe, the noise of excavators is scaring the birds

Plans to build Albania's largest airport could destroy one of Europe's most spectacular bird sanctuaries, where the noise of trucks and excavators is already scaring pelicans and flamingos, ornithologists say, writes Reuters . 

The picturesque Vjose-Narte Lagoon is a crucial stop for flocks of birds in their annual migration between Europe and Africa. It was declared a protected nesting and migrating area in 2004 and is home to 200 species of birds.

The government says a new airport in the lagoon will boost tourism along Albania's pristine Adriatic coast and is in line with environmental regulations.

" We have respected every step, every deadline and every procedure of Albanian law, whether for public consultations or how it will affect the environment ," said Minister of Tourism and Environment Mirela Kumbaro.

Birdwatchers describe this part of Albania as one of the best places in Europe to see flocks of giant pink flamingos flying.

Mirjan Topi, an ornithologist from the Birds of Albania group, said the lagoon is home to about 1.5% of the global population of the magnificent Dalmatian pelican, one of the largest flying birds in the world, which is in danger of extinction every day.

"If the airport is built, this beauty will disappear."

He also said the safety of the aircraft would be a concern, due to the risk of collision with birds.

Airport builders say the planes will not be in the bird's flight path. "The airport's flight plan, the projected take-off and landing, does not affect the birds' path," Valon Lluka, who runs the project for Mabetex, the Swiss-based firm leading the construction, told Reuters in an email.

The track is about 3.5 km (2.17 miles) from the bird sanctuary and 5 km (3.11 miles) away from the main bird migration routes along the coast, Lluka said.

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism accounted for 18 percent of Albania's economic output and created one in every 10 jobs. But if the goal is to boost tourism, Arsen Lambro, 28, who runs a fish restaurant near the lagoon, says it would be a mistake to ruin the local grandeur for an airport.

"What will tourists find here? It's not just food, but it is the area that will bring in more tourists, " he said.