Minister of Environment Orders Halt to Excavation and Land Reclamation on Adloun Beach

The press office of Minister of Environment Mohammed Machnouk announced that, following reports of excavation and land reclamation near the Fishermen’s Port in Adloun by the contractor implementing the “Maritime Port for Fishing and Leisure,” and the deployment of heavy machinery that caused damage to the beach and the rocks—representing natural richness and biological uniqueness—the Minister of Environment sent a letter to Minister of Public Works and Transport Ghazi Zeaiter. In the letter, he requested the immediate suspension of the ongoing works, which constitute a violation of the law, particularly regarding the mandatory environmental impact assessment for the proposed project. The study must be submitted for review by the Ministry of Environment. The relevant official authority must refrain from starting construction (if it is a public project) or issuing the required permit (if it is a private project) until the Ministry of Environment’s position on the study is issued, taking into account the importance of the marine environment.

The Minister of Environment had previously received a letter from the Green Southerners organisation requesting that Adloun Beach be declared a natural and archaeological reserve and that all construction works on the site be prohibited due to its diversity and biological significance, as it represents one of the last nesting sites for marine turtles.