Virgin Comoros island sees hope in ecotourism

By Ed Harris

FOMBONI, Comoros (Reuters Life!) - Rare bats, green turtles and unspoiled beaches are top attractions on the Comorian island of Moheli, where the jungle spills onto the road and the craggy hills are covered with bush and trees.

"It's about 80 percent virgin," Mohamed Ali Said M'sa, president of the least developed island in the Comoros, told Reuters. "We think we can profit from this," he said.

Lying off Africa's east coast, the three tropical islands which make up the Comoros have a history of coups and inter-island bickering. Political instability since independence from France in 1975 has deterred tourism. But now Moheli is hoping to cash in on its environment.

An endangered green turtle flaps her way down a short, sandy beach before slipping into the sea. Another turtle, its shell the size of a suitcase, scrabbles away into the undergrowth, looking to lay her eggs on the island.

The island is home to many species ranging from the critically endangered hawksbill turtles to dugongs, a marine mammal whose closest living relative is the elephant.

"For the green turtles, Moheli is one of the 12 most important nesting sites in the world," Melissa Hauzer, from a non-profit conservation organization, C3, told Reuters.

Once widespread in the Indian Ocean, dugong populations have been slashed by fishing, she said.

"CAN'T LIST THEM ALL"