In our series "Specialty Insurers through the Ages", we tell you about exciting insurance cases from our past.  We continue with the transportation of very special flies in the 1990s.

The screwworm fly is a type of fly that has a short lifespan but can cause considerable damage. As a parasite, it nests in the skin of injured animals to reproduce. The animals often die due to the inflammation of the wounds after the fly infestation. In the early 1990s, there was a massive spread of the parasite in Libya and Algeria, among other places.

In order to prevent the spread of the species, to the south of the Sahara, the "sterile insect technique" is used. Sterile screwworm larvae are bred in a laboratory in the Mexican city of Tuxla Gutierrez. The idea: the flies that are later released lay eggs, but as these are not fertilized, the fly species does not reproduce any further. The short lifespan of the insects also contributes to the rapid success of this method. In the USA and Central America, screwworm fly populations have already been successfully eradicated in this way.

In order to be able to transport the sterile flies to Africa, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is looking for a suitable logistics company that meets the strict requirements for the transport. Delvag took part in the tender together with German Cargo (predecessor of Lufthansa Cargo). The insurance offer we submitted was convincing and Delvag was awarded the contract together with German Cargo.