A high-stakes environmental and civil conflict has erupted in southern Albania, where Jared Kushner’s investment firm faces allegations 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 Albanian parliamentary changes enabling luxury construction in protected zones.
Wetland Destruction Underway
The fight centres on the Zvërnec peninsula, north of Vlora, part of the Narta wetland and the Vjosa Delta biosphere reserve. Heavy machinery has operated for over a month, destroying dunes and forest 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.
Kushners 14bn Resort Project
Affinity Partners, Jared Kushner’s firm, plans two luxury resorts on Albania’s southern coast, including Zvërnec and Sazan Island. The Zvërnec site will feature about 1,000 beach villas and hotel rooms beside a new international airport. The on-site company, Zvërnec South Adriatic Development, holds permits linked to Kushner’s project, funded mainly by Middle Eastern sovereign wealth.
Protests Met By Security
On 5 May, protesters from Lëvizja BASHKË marched to Zvërnec Beach only to be confronted by masked men and a heavy police presence. Videos show demonstrators forcibly removed within the fenced zone, allegedly by private security tied to the development, while riot police did not intervene. Movement leader Arlind Qori condemned the police for passivity during what he called an “open abduction” of peaceful protesters.
Dubious Legal Changes Stoked Conflict
The project’s legal backing stems from a parliamentary law change made weeks before construction began, permitting five-star hotels in protected zones—a law tailored for this development. The official permit issued on 29 April 2026 has not been published. Environmentalists claim machinery has cut natural water flow between the sea and the lagoon, destroying critical habitats.
Government Defends Project
Environment Minister Sofjan Jaupaj stated the area is Category V protected, allowing tourism infrastructure, and called the work mere fencing and surveys. Yet conservation groups like BirdLife Europe and EuroNatur dispute this, exposing environmental damage and lack of transparency. The uproar threatens Albania’s EU ambitions and has sparked demands 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 encircled in razor wire and an Israeli flag marked “border” symbolises the nation’s struggle to preserve its natural heritage against unchecked luxury developments.
