For the first time in its history, the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) has activated its Review Mechanism to address the ongoing construction of Vlora International Airport in Albania. The airport is being built within the Vjosa-Narta Protected Area, a critical biodiversity hotspot and key site along the Adriatic flyway—one of the most important migratory bird routes in the Mediterranean.

The Vjosa-Narta Lagoon supports over 200 bird species and plays a vital role in regional ecological health. Its disturbance not only threatens biodiversity but poses serious bird strike risks—a danger to both wildlife and human safety.

The CMS action follows a formal complaint by PPNEA and cites:

• Breaches of Albania’s international environmental obligations
• Lack of proper ecological assessment
• Ongoing legal and ecological risks tied to the project

This latest intervention adds to mounting pressure from the European Commission and the Bern Convention, both of which have already called for the project’s suspension.

Read the official CMS letter: https://www.cms.int/sites/default/files/document/cms_stc56_outcome2_e.pdf

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