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desert locust; photo courtesy Compton Tucker, NASA GSFC
Many countries of Africa and south-western Asia are, from time to time, invaded by swarms of Desert Locusts, which are capable of hundreds of miles of continuous flight, and have repeatedly been seen in flight at sea, off the north-western coasts of Africa, and over the North Arabian Sea, Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Persian Gulf. The adult Desert Locust is about 6 cm long, with a wing-span of about 12 cm, varying in colour from red to yellow according to its state of maturity. Current reports of locusts in all infested countries are exchanged through the Desert Locust Information Service, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, Rome.
To assist in the provision of appropriate warnings to countries threatened by locust invasion, mariners sighting locusts are asked to report by radio or by
TELEPHONE: +39 06 570 52420
FAX: +39 06 570 55271
TELEX: 625852 & 610181 FAO I
TELEGRAPH: FOODAGRI ROME
EMAIL: eclo@fao.org
WEBSITE: http://www.fao.org/ag/locusts/en/info/info/index.html
Each report should contain the following elements:
(a) Date and time (specifying UTC or zone time) when locusts first seen.
(b) Latitude and longitude, if possible to the nearest minute, where locusts first seen.
(c) Time and position at which locusts last seen.
(d) Whether isolated locusts (seen in flight singly), locust group or groups (flying locusts seen intermittently in numbers), swarm (flying locusts seen continuously in numbers over a period of at least a minute), dense swarm (obscuring part of horizon or other background), locusts appearing on board or floating dead locusts (isolated, groups or swarms).
(e) Colour of locusts (yellow, pink, grey).
(f) Wind direction and speed.
Details as above should always be entered in the 'Additional Observations' pages of the (electronic) meteorological logbook, even if it has not been possible to transmit a report. The cost of all such messages will be borne by the Food and Agriculture Organization, and narratives referring to locusts will be extracted from the meteorological logbook and forwarded to them.
A specimen message could read:
TELEX 610181 FOODAGRI ROME. 12th 1030 UTC 1805N, 3933E to 1215 UTC 1832N, 3918E. Thin swarm yellow locusts NW 15 knots.
The cost of these messages will be defrayed by the FAO Desert Locust Information Service.
Locusts in the Arabian Sea
Reports of locust swarms seen in the Arabian Sea may also be sent direct to the
Department of Plant Protection, Karachi.
TELEPHONE: +92(0)21 9248612-5
FAX: +92(0)21 9248673
EMAIL: d_locust@gem.net.pk, mohd_bashirpp@yahoo.com, locust@khi.paknet.com.pk or locustgp@hotmail.com.
The cost of these messages will be defrayed by the Department of Plant Protection, Jinnah Avenue, Malir Halt, Karachi-75100.
Oman
Mariners sighting locusts are asked to report by fax to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. If fax is unavailable, then by telex to FAO, Rome (see above) and to Muscat Radio
TELEPHONE: +968 696287
FAX: +968 696271
Reports should contain information as listed in (a) to (f) above. A drawing or photograph would be of material help to a narrative, which in any case can give fuller details, and which consequently should always be entered even if it has not been possible to transmit a message.
swarms of millions will strip crops bare in hours; photo courtesy Compton Tucker, NASA GSFC