Huge win for nature in Portugal! Tagus Estuary saved from airport plans

A big congratulations to our Partner SPEA – Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves for their unwavering work to save this jewel! Together with ClientEarth and eight other NGOs, they successfully launched a lawsuit to halt the plans for the new airport. The plans to build the airport in the estuary provoked widespread outcry from scientists and the public, leading to the lawsuit being supported by Portugal’s Public Prosecutor, which ultimately drove the authorities to reconsider and cancel the project.

This was truly a BirdLife fight, with invaluable support from our Dutch partner Vogelbescherming Nederland, who have been with us from the very beginning. The Tagus estuary is a critical stopover for the Netherlands’ national bird, the Black-tailed godwit.

While there are still proposals to build an airport at an alternative location, which pose threats to our nature and our climate goals, this decision sends a powerful message to authorities across Europe about the dangers of planning mega-projects in protected areas and the necessity of adhering to environmental laws.

This victory in Portugal is especially significant as it comes at a time when the Albanian government continues to build an airport in the protected Vjosa-Narta Lagoon, a crucial wetland for Dalmatian pelicans and thousands of migratory birds along the Adriatic flyway. Our Albanian Partner PPNEA continues its fight to save this emblem of Mediterranean biodiversity. We hope Portugal’s success sets a powerful precedent that underscores the importance of keeping protected areas protected!

Pictures by Jaime Sousa, SPEA