ETMI in collaboration with Milieukontakt Albania (member of Milieukontakt International Network) carried out the autumn season beach litter monitoring at Vain Island, located within the Kune-Vain Protected Lagoon Area🌿, near the Drin Delta 📍 in Lezhe.
This site is a key biodiversity hotspot, home to migratory birds and marine species, but also one of the most vulnerable areas to plastic pollution due to river inflows, tourism, and nearby urban activities.

📊A total of 456 litter items were recorded, with plastics representing 80% of the total. The most common items
included plastic drink bottles, plastic caps/lids, and plastic crisps packets/sweets wrappers, showing continued pressure from land-based waste and recreational activities
🔍Unlike the summer season, when tourism and recreational use play a major role, this autumn monitoring revealed that the main influence on litter accumulation comes from river inflows, primarily the Drin River, which transports household and urban waste downstream

This activity is part of the “Marine Litter Prevention in Sazani and Kune-Vain Islands” project, supported by Beyond Plastic Med – BeMed, implemented by ETMI and MiA.