A remote Mediterranean island is becoming the focal point for an environmental debate.
What's happening?
According to Euronews, Albania's Sazan Island may become home to a new tourist resort, despite local activists' complaints.
The proposed 1.4-billion-euro ($1.9 billion) project is being championed by Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner. Over 40 European environmental groups have opposed the development, as the island is home to a delicate ecosystem.
"The sea around Sazan offers valuable and key habitats for the globally most endangered marine mammal species, the Mediterranean monk seal," a joint letter addressed to Albania's Prime Minister and Minister of Environment read.
"The littoral around Sazan is characterized by vast Posidonia underwater meadows, essential for biodiversity and climate."
Resort construction has come with major environmental costs in the past. One establishment in the Seychelles was found to be expelling sewage directly into local wetlands. Meanwhile, tourism along Indonesian shores has dramatically increased ocean microplastic pollution.
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Why are tourist resorts concerning?
Resorts impose a wide range of pressures that can create lasting damage to species with important ecosystem roles.
"The construction of a luxury resort, with large-scale infrastructure interventions such as sea traffic, roads, and sewage systems, poses a serious threat to these delicate habitats," the joint letter read.
"Such interventions bring noise, artificial lighting, pollution, and increased human presence all of which may drive away wildlife from critical areas, including coastal caves that are essential for the survival of the monk seal."
What's being done about the resort on Sazan Island?
Albania has joined America's "Board of Peace," signalling a close relationship with the Trump family.
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Environmental groups signing the joint letter to the Albanian government have requested additional legal protections for Sazan Island while also cancelling the project in order to meet existing international conservation commitments.
You can do your part by vacationing responsibly. For example, carefully looking at destinations and finding eco-friendly amenities can ensure you minimize your environmental footprint while traveling abroad.
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