Marine biologists have warned that Lake Ohrid’s biodiversity is under threat from tourism development due to Macedonian authorities’ plans to build luxury resorts and man-made beaches.

Lake Ohrid, Macedonia.
Lake Ohrid, Macedonia. <span class="media-attribution">Image by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/princeroy/7234821158/in/photolist-c2jmgQ-brs7Zi-2Ze9vG-6rZDaU-7kMkua-hBzGUV-oqF6iX-nb32NJ-pb9Ysp-6rZB7w-Aiyoc-Aiyof-Aiyo8-oTEwqS-auhHoL-2Zfz2R-2UfKZn-2Z9BZ6-brsbCP-c2jkLo-hBzMmT-c2jn55-c2jmam-c8b3w-2UgjpP-c2jopQ-c2joDs-c2joRQ-c2joXm-c2joJQ-2UfMdi-2Zk4pW-oTEtns-oTEzTG-oTEYoa-p98ewu-c2jmsq-c2jnjq-c2jmJw-c2jnQf-c2jmzh-c2jnEY-c2jkTo-c2jo1m-c2jo7y-c2jntQ-c2jp3q-4Y7FMn-hBBa1w-oTDMWx" target="_blank" rel="external">Prince Roy</a> / <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/uk/" target="_blank" rel="external">CC BY 2.0</a></span>

Lake Ohrid, shared between Macedonia and Albania, is among Europe’s deepest and oldest and a Unesco World Heritage Site. Its fragile ecosystem includes 350 species not found anywhere else in the world. The mayor of the town of Ohrid has announced plans to build a marina with luxury accommodation at the lake. This would require the draining of the marsh which protects the lake from pollution, as well as replacing reed beds with beaches created from imported sand. Environmental campaigners are particularly concerned about the survival of the Lake Ohrid’s endemic species. Read more: independent.co.uk

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