The designation of Vjosa as “National Park” was one of the themes discussed tonight on Shock airing three times a week on Euronews Albania.
Analyst Baton Haxhu believes that international calls, urging the Albanian government to declare Vlora a National Park, should be disregarded.
According to him, many European states that have been highly vocal over this matter have in fact disrespected these rules themselves.
“Who is Leonardo Di Caprio?! Di Caprio cannot be talking to us about Vlora. All European countries have omitted from national parks and none of them have respected the rules that they now demand from us on Vjosa”, he said.
Furthermore, Haxhiu argued that River Vjosa extends in an area of approximately 300 kilometers, and designating it as a National Park would leave it entirely underdeveloped because it would impede the construction and establishment of any form of activity and leave the locals poor, or as he referred to them as “indigenous tribes”.
On the other hand, analyst Andi Bushati said that we should not allow the construction of hydropower plants on the river of Vjosa as it would completely degrade its biodiversity.
“The Turks of the vaccines, the same ones that brought the military tanks at the airport, are also building the hydropower plants. Are we going to be Di Caprio’s indigenous people or Erdogan’s? This is the fundamental matter at hand”, said Bushati.
“Those hydropower plants should not be built in order to give the locals the opportunity to develop agriculture and tourism”, argued Bushati. “Between hydropower plants and preserving the virginity of the river, I’d rather choose the latter”.
World-renowned actor and environmentalist Leonardo Di Caprio has been a loud voice and among the most distinctive figures advocating for the proclamation of Vjosa into a National Park.
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