News from the BBKA

Product Endorsements:
The BBKA, with the full knowledge of its membership, has for many years engaged positively with agro-chemical manufacturers in the interest of achieving responsible use of chemicals and pesticides where bees are concerned. The BBKA Technical Committee reviews data presented to it relating to products, which must have already received full governmental approval. Where appropriate, the committee advises the BBKA Executive that the product can be considered to be ‘bee friendly’’, provided that they are used correctly as per their approval. The BBKA Executive then decides whether or not to endorse the product. Currently just four products are endorsed, namely: Decis/Pearl Micro (deltamethrin), Hallmark with Zeon Technology (lambda cyalothrin), Fastac/Contest (alpha-cypermethrin) and Fury10EW/Minuet (zeta-cypermethrin). These products are all based on synthetic pyrethroids, related to substances widely used by beekeepers to control the varroa mite. Alarmist statements that they are ‘toxic to bees’ relate only to the active ingredients, not to the marketed product formulations themselves when used according to the recommended dosages and methods of application. The substances implicated in the German incident are members of the entirely unrelated neonicotinoid group and have NOT been endorsed by the BBKA.

An endorsement agreement is established for each product, which is reviewed routinely every three years. The agreement demands that the company keeps the BBKA fully informed of any development or incident involving the product (or their active substances) and reserves the right to cancel the endorsement without notice and at any time in the event that it can no longer be assured of the product’s ‘bee friendly’ status. Any donation made by the companies concerned, none of which has exceeded £5000 per annum, is dealt with by the Executive, NOT by the Technical Committee, which restricts its advice to the matter of whether the product can be considered ‘bee friendly’ or not. Funds so generated, are used for the promotion of beekeeping in line with the BBKA charitable objects and for example have supported ‘Bees in the Curriculum’ and the Member’s Register.

The policy of positive engagement with the agro-chemical industry has been notably successful. The UK Pesticides Guide contains a section provided by the BBKA which lists 10 points for good practice when using pesticides. Companies include reminders of good practice in their bulletins, as well as on package inserts. The result of this has been that the frequent poisonings on the 1990s have become a thing of the past in this country; single or nil incidents per annum have become the norm and have been shown to be due to misuse, misapplication or have involved products not endorsed by the BBKA.

The BBKA policy on product endorsement is not secret, and has been aired in BBKA News, discussed at the 2003 and 2004 Annual Forums and received de facto endorsement at the 2005 Annual Delegate Meeting, when a motion to end the policy was rejected voting 9 for; 30 against with 6 abstentions. The policy is kept under regular review, but it is understood that not all members are comfortable with it. On balance it is, however, the view of the Executive and the membership as expressed through our democratic process that the policy has delivered much good to bee keeping in this country. Notwithstanding the foregoing the BBKA is alerted to the current situation.

The BBKA Executive will continue to monitor developments in this important area which affect our bees’ health at a time when bees are under threat from a number of factors. We will then provide balanced information to our membership and beekeepers in general to assist them in working to maintain a healthy bee population.

This statement from the BBKA is an explanation of the BBKA product endorsement policy. I hope that you will find this helpful and reassuring to members. Martin Tovey General Secretary.

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