Preliminary clearing and construction linked to a Trump-family connected resort in Albania have significantly damaged a previously pristine coastal area, experts say. Satellite images show that in a 25-day span in May a road was cut, trees cleared and a bridge built over the Narta lagoon channel, harming loggerhead turtle nesting sites, bird habitats and dune systems. Daily protests and partial work suspensions have followed, but scientists warn the ecological harm may already be largely irreparable. The €4.5bn project, promoted by figures linked to the Trump family, has drawn EU criticism and celebrity support for the protesters.
Trump-Linked Albanian Resort: Preparatory Work 'Irreparably' Damages Pristine Coast, NGOs Warn
The coastal area is home to turtle and bird species (Handout)
Scientists, environmentalists and local residents warn that preliminary clearing and construction tied to a luxury resort linked to the Trump family have already caused what many describe as "irreparable" damage to a once-pristine stretch of Albania's coast.
Satellite imagery obtained by AFP shows that over a 25-day period in May workers bulldozed a road, cleared a large area of vegetation and erected a bridge across the channel connecting the Narta lagoon to the sea. Experts say those actions have altered vital coastal and wetland systems.
Immediate ecological impacts: Marine biologist Olsi Nika, head of the NGO EcoAlbania, told AFP that "bulldozers on the beaches have already damaged the nesting sites of loggerhead turtles, which are threatened with extinction." He and other scientists also report that access tracks through dunes and tree felling have disturbed nesting grounds for numerous bird species, while changes to the lagoon channel have severely disrupted water flows essential to wetland health.
"An absolute biodiversity massacre," said Nika, summarizing the ecological toll.
Daily protests by locals and activists have forced temporary suspensions of some preparatory works, but experts caution the early damage may be long-lasting. Ferdinand Bego, a professor at the University of Tirana, warned that "the damage caused to the heritage site long before construction even began is largely irreparable."
Project Background and Local Reaction
The €4.5 billion resort — first proposed in 2024 and publicly associated with Jared Kushner and members of the Trump family — envisions luxury hotels and developments near flamingo colonies and on a nearby deserted island. In a podcast, Ivanka Trump described the area as "five miles of beach front...with a beautiful peninsula with a lagoon on one side, the ocean on the other, and beautiful white sand beaches."
Tensions escalated after barbed wire appeared six weeks ago to mark project boundaries; private security forces later intervened to disperse one demonstration, prompting wider protests across the region.
International Concern and Calls For Protection
The project has drawn criticism from environmental campaigners, scientists and high-profile figures such as British pop star Dua Lipa, who has publicly backed the protesters. The European Union — whose accession chapter on environment and climate (Chapter 27) Albania must meet — has also expressed concern. European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said in July that Tirana had previously agreed to repeal 2024 amendments to protected-area laws and the law on strategic investors.
Friedrich Schiemer, a University of Vienna professor who visited the site in June, urged urgent measures to limit further harm, warning that large-scale tourism developments "could irreparably compromise its natural integrity." The reporting and expert assessments cited here are based on field visits, satellite imagery and statements to AFP.
What happens next: Scientists and activists are calling for an immediate halt to further works, independent environmental assessments, and legal protections to prevent further damage while authorities and developers decide on next steps.
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