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Dear friends, This is the periodic newsletter of EcoAlbania (The Center for Protection of Natural Ecosystems in Albania). Here you can find the latest news on our work and activities, as well as publications regarding important environmental issues in Albania. You're kindly invited to share it with your friends and networks! |
The first public discussions about the future of the Vjosa Valley took place in the cities of Çarshovë and Përmet in southern Albania. While official plans of the government envisage the construction of eight dams along the river, the mayors and people of the affected communities support the alternative idea of establishing a national park. A declaration to stop the dam projects and protect the river as a national park was signed.
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Environmental concerns have pushed one flagship dam project to the brink of cancellation but a ‘gold rush on the rivers’ of south-east Europe puts these unique ecosystems and their wildlife, including the critically endangered Balkan lynx, in jeopardy. More is known about rivers in the Amazon than Europe’s last wild waterways in the Balkans. But these unique ecosystems in south-east Europe could soon be gone, along with endangered species such as the balkan lynx, if plans for over 2,000 dams go ahead, conservationists warn.
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Albania… Probably this is the only country in Europe where no brown trout from Atlantic strains have been introduced by man, ever. Here, trout come in the diversity of a dream factory’s kaleidoscope: S. marmoratus, S. ohridanus, S. letnica – three to four subspecies or forms, S. trutta – brook and lake forms, S. farioides, S. peristericus, S. montenegrinus, …
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The Vjosa in the South of Albania is one of the last intact wild rivers in Europe. Along its course of 270 kilometers it is free flowing – in some areas the riverbed expands over more than 2 km in width – and its tributaries are largely untouched as well. This is without par in Europe.
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The last meeting of the Vjosa tour was organized by EcoAlbania in the frame of “Save the blue heart of Europe” campaign, on March 13th in Selenica. The meeting was attended by 80 local people, representatives of civil society, Environment Inspectorate of Vlora, national and international media. The meeting is part of a series of meetings held along the Vjosa valley with the aim to inform different groups of interest of the community, about the values and the threats of the last wild river in Europe.
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About 150 environmental activists and residents from all over the valley of Vjosa joined the community of Bënça to protest against the construction of hydroelectric plants in one of its most impressive tributaries. The massive protest held in Bënça was supported by residents of Bënça, Tepelena, Përmeti, Selenica, Qesarati, Krasa, Vlora, Gjirokastra and many students from Tirana.
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Friends Vjosa expressed their willingness to give their contribution to protect the Europe's last "wild" river, as a natural and spiritual treasure for them and for future generations. During the "Friends Vjosa" meetings were addressed various issues related to Vjosa river as the deviation problem in the Greek part, the threat from hydro-powers and also were lodged opportunities to solve this problems.
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Next week a CTCF delegation in cooperation with EcoAlbania will visit the Valbona River valley in Albania. Initially the purpose of this trip was to get a general impression of the situation in the basin, and to assess its potential for a project that combines trout/habitat conservation and the establishment of eco-tourism in that very habitat. Depending upon this trip’s findings and results we were to define its continuation, the first priority most probably being the necessity of doing scientific research in order to determine which particular trout species we would be dealing with.
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The international day for biological diversity (22nd of May), this year has in focus the sustainable development. This special day for the environmental calendar was celebrated with the children of the elementary school in Selenica. Around 50 children from 13-15 years old participated in the activity organized by EcoAlbania’s education team in the frame of the “Save the Blue Heart of Europe” campaign
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The European Parliament adopted the Fleckenstein’s Resolution on the 2014 progress-report of Albania. Through this resolution, in one of the points (27), the EP urges the Albanian Government to stop the construction of all hydropower plants in protected areas and in particular in the Vjosa river and its tributaries, since these projects would harm one of Europe’s last extensive, intact and near-natural river ecosystems.
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Next Sunday, on May 24th, is the “European Day of Parks” – a day to celebrate protected areas in Europe and advertise their values and benefits (www.europarc.org). However, particularly on the Balkans there is little reason to celebrate. On the contrary, a recent study on hydropower projects inside protected areas commissioned by Riverwatch and EuroNatur shows that 535 projects (of a total of 1,640 large-, medium- and small-scale hydropower plants that were examined) are currently planned within strict nature conservation areas, 113 of which in the midst of national parks – commonly with support from international companies and banks, particularly from inside the EU.
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