Comino Island Faces Ecological Crisis from 10,000 Daily Tourists

Comino, a small island off the coast of Malta known for its picturesque Blue Lagoon, is facing an environmental crisis due to overwhelming tourism, with up to 10,000 visitors daily in the summer. Once a serene nature reserve, the island is now littered with trash and infested with rats, which thrive on discarded food from makeshift bars catering to tourists. Activist Andre Callus from Moviment Graffitti described the situation as 'unbearable,' citing the detrimental effects of noise, vegetation damage, and waste on the island's ecosystem. BirdLife Malta's CEO Mark Sultana emphasized the threat to wildlife, noting that rats are preying on local species like shearwater birds and lizards. Critics argue that commercial interests and a lack of government regulation have exacerbated the issue, as a previously commissioned study to assess visitor capacity remains unpublished. Despite its troubled state, Comino continues to be marketed as an idyllic destination, largely due to social media and its appearances in Hollywood films.