Libya Fights Screwworm Infestation With U.N. Help

The screwworm fly, an old enemy of livestock, has resurfaced in Libya, threatening animals as well as humans in all of North Africa. UN agencies have turned to a well-tried, chemical-free technique called the Sterile Insect Technique or SIT to eradicate the pest. The operation calls for massive airdropping of sterile male flies in the affected area. When these flies mate with fertile females, there will be no offspring and the population will die out. The pilot program has proved successful. IFAD/FAO has already announced that the fly dispersal program will be scaled down from two years to one.