Pig Farm Ruins

When Isolation Saves

In 1979, African Swine Fever (ASF) broke out on Malta — a disease lethal to pigs, with no cure or vaccine. Authorities had to cull nearly the entire herd on the main island. But how to rebuild the stock when the virus could be lurking everywhere?

The answer lay 3.5 km offshore: Comino. The isolation that had been the island's curse for centuries suddenly became its greatest asset. A farm, modern for its time, was built on Comino, healthy pigs were imported, and breeding began in complete biological isolation.

Legacy

The farm operated for over a decade until herds could be safely transferred back to Malta. Today only stone foundations and rusty fences remain — but the story of how a small, forgotten island saved Maltese agriculture is one of Comino's most fascinating.