New World screwworm (NWS) listening sessions will be held in late June and early July to solicit input from stakeholders on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) five-pronged strategy to combat the pest.

The sessions will be hosted by USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

Topics APHIS will gather feedback on include:

  • sterile fly production technology,
  • eradication tools and technologies aside from sterile fly production,
  • the benefits and barriers including timelines and costs of enhanced domestic vs international sterile fly production, and
  • other innovative ideas.

Participants must register for the virtual listening session(s) in advance and indicate if they would like to verbally provide comments.

The listening sessions will begin with a short update on APHIS’ NWS response followed by stakeholder comments for the remainder of the meeting.

In order to hear from as many participants as possible, we ask that speakers plan to limit their comments to 3 minutes or less. Participants may provide a written copy of their comments either before or after the listening session by sending them to APHIS.NWS.Program@usda.gov.

To participate in a listening session, please register in advance using the link(s) below and provide your name, organization and email address. Once you submit your information, you will receive an email that includes the webinar link. Each listening session will be recorded.

Friday, June 27, 2025, 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. ET
Topic: Sterile Fly Production Technology
Click to register

Wednesday, July 2, 2025, 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. ET
Topic: Eradication Tools and Technologies Aside from Sterile Fly Production
Click to register

Monday, July 7, 2025, 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. ET
Topic: Benefits and Barriers of Enhanced Domestic vs International Sterile Fly Production (including timelines and costs)
Click to register

Friday, July 11, 2025, 1:00 p.m. -2:00 p.m. ET
Topic: Other Innovative NWS Ideas
Click to register