الوصف6293/C/3. IAEA/FAO – Mediterranean Fruit Fly Eradication Project. Italy, July 1967. Capri is the site of an attempt to exterminate the Mediterranean fruit fly (Coratitis Capitata) by introducing huge number of flies bred in the laboratory and sterilised using an atomic reactor. It is hoped that the resultant abortive unions will load to extinction of a post which each year destroys large quantities of growing fruit. The project is a joint effort of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of Vienna and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of Rome, together with the atomic energy agencies of Israel and Italy. Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Citrus Marketing Board of Israel. Each week, several million sterile flies are flown in pupa form from Israel to Rome and then to Capri where they are released and their movements carefully by a team of Italian and international scientists and technicians headed by IAEA entomologist David Nadel (USA). The pupae are transferred after their arrival to large white paper bags containing wood shaving sprayed with sugared water and allowed to mature before release of the fully-formed flies 36 hours later. Technicians and aides are shown carrying white paper bags containing sterile flies for release at given points over Capri. FAO photo by P. Galletti.
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