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
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
