ALBANIANS PROTEST SEA OIL POLLUTION ALLEGEDLY FROM GREEK SHIP

17.08.2004 [16:56]
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As reports Reuters, dozens of Albanian demonstrators spilled oil and dead fish in front of the Greek Embassy on Monday to protest what they said were Greek ships polluting the country's southwestern shore and keeping tourists away.

The protest was organized by three nongovernment organizations after beaches from Vlora city to Qeparo village southwest of the capital, Tirana, were polluted last week by spillage from oil barrels allegedly originating from a Greek ship.

The groups said similar acts had occurred in the same region in previous summers. Environment ministry officials said the source of the pollution remains unclear.

But in an allusion to Greece, Hektor Harizaj of the Environmental Regional Agency in Vlora told the daily Shekulli that the pollution was likely caused by foreign tourist agencies trying to keep tourists away from the Albanian shore along the Ionian Sea.

While the Albanian shore remains largely unknown to tourists, there are suspicions here that Greece fears competition from its smaller neighbor in the future.

There was no immediate comment from the Greek government.

The Vlora prosecutor's office was investigating the oil spill.

ALBANIANS PROTEST SEA OIL POLLUTION ALLEGEDLY FROM GREEK SHIP

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