Thethi National Park and Shkodra Lake Facing Threats, HSA Says

TIRANA, April 23

An audit of the Regional Administration for Protected Areas in Shkodra conducted by the High State Audit (HSA) found out management in most of the natural areas in the region has been neglected. Thethi National Park, Shkodra Lake, and Buna River are threatened by poor management. According to HSA, Thethi area was left adrift as the construction of accommodation facilities and other structures was allowed without environmental assessments. HSA found out that the regional administration has limited data on the area and this affects the effective management of Thethi in terms of tourism revenues.
“Based on the data of AdZM Shkodra, Thethi National park had a limited number of visitors compared to other regions in the Albanian Alps due to lack of optimal tourism infrastructure. Locals have built new inns that are used for accommodation purposes but they have limited capacities,” HSA says.
Moreover, it highlights that the new accommodation structures are not equipped with licenses and environmental permits while the regional administration lacks comprehensive data and cooperation with local power and the tax office.

Photo credit Olt Alibali
HSA’s audit also focusses on Shkodra Lake and Buna River, where two main issues have been noticed. Illegal fishing and conflict of interest damaged the lake.
“Problems in Shkodra Lake were caused by the Fishing Management Organization, which is a private subject that issued licenses for fishermen without a preliminary survey. The high number of fishing licenses and illegal fishing caused a significant decline in fish numbers. This has an impact on the presence of migratory birds,” HSA’s report says.
News Source: Monitor