Silver Linings? Comino’s Divisive Pineapple Cocktails Might Have An Overlooked Benefit, Prominent Naturalist Argues
The tiny island of Comino might’ve spent most of its lifetime enjoying the title of one of the Mediterranean’s best-kept secrets, but as the archipelago gained more popularity as an international destination, so did the picturesque speck between Malta and Gozo. And while more tourists flocking to Comino brought with it a host of new problems, the islands’ premier naturalist has just spotted what could be a hidden silver lining in all the chaos.
Beyond an overpopulated Blue Lagoon filled with boats, tourists and a whole lot of trash, one of Comino’s most divisive features is its Instagram-friendly pineapple drink, which is literally just that: hollowed out, imported pineapples used as cups for refreshing €10-ish cocktails in the glaring sun. The drink, now synonymous with a day in Comino, has courted a lot of interest from visitors ever since its introduction back in 2015… and criticism by locals who feel it adds nothing to the island’s character except more waste in the shape of piles of pineapple shells.
But it’s here where Arnold Sciberras, a popular naturalist who has documented the islands and their unique fauna multiple times over, noticed a potential benefit to the whole system.
“People have long been complaining about the disaster on Comino, but there’s one small thing that could end up a cause for good from the damage,” Sciberras told Lovin Malta. “And it’s all got to do with our lizards and insects.”
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Sciberras went on to explain that the waste left behind by tourism on Comino, particularly that related to pineapples, is acting as great nourishment for the island’s unique wall lizards, which have been struggling in the increasingly hot and dry weather hitting the islands.
“We should have a simple agreement between these kiosks where any organic waste – particularly the pineapples – is given to people who take care of Comino and spread around zones,” Sciberras continued. “This is great compost, and when it’s a wet object like a pineapple, it would be full of nutrients in the brutal heat. So if the straws and packaging can be removed but the organic waste kept and spread around the islands, it could really help hit two birds with one stone.”
Sciberras shared a number of photos of the unique wall lizards – which are some of the largest species found in Malta – feasting on the fruits’ waste, clearly enjoying the nourishment in the sizzling hot sun which regularly hits Comino and the much smaller Cominotto.
“Of course, at the same time, there still needs to be an important system in place to manage Comino’s rat population, because there’s already a big population being attracted there,” Sciberras said. “And while we want to help the island’s biodiversity thrive, we can’t have pests thrive too, so we need to control these pests. Because when rats increase, the biodiversity is harmed too.”
“Also, as an aside, people really need to drive more carefully on Comino,” Sciberras said. “They somehow drive even faster on that island, and I’ve seen so much crushed and killed biodiversity, especially the lizards. And after all, this is a protected zone we’re talking about.”
What do you make of this take on Comino’s divisive drinks?
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