Response to launch of DEFRA’S Bee Health Strategy Consultation
Published Apr 8, 2008
Photographs Lord Rooker and Martin Smith Ormskirk & Croston Beekeepers Association apiary
STATEMENT
Response to launch of DEFRA’S Bee Health Strategy Consultation
The British Beekeepers’ Association (BBKA) welcomes the publication of DEFRA’s draft Bee Health Strategy consultation document, launched today by Lord Rooker at the Ormskirk Beekeepers Association’s apiary.
The BBKA is however concerned that despite its advice to DEFRA there are substantial short comings and omissions in the strategy.
As a stakeholder which has made a major input into its development over recent months, the BBKA has urged that more research is needed to understand the problems and to find solutions to the diseases which threaten to wipe out our honey bees. Once again, many beekeepers throughout the country are reporting higher than usual winter losses.
Most importantly the BBKA has no confidence in government’s commitment to funding additional work and services needed to keep our honey bees healthy.
Pollination, largely by honey bees, contributes £165 million a year to the agricultural economy.
Pollination, largely by honey bees, contributes £165 million a year to the agricultural economy. Without pollination, many food crops will decline to an uneconomic level which will have a devastating effect on everyone’s diet. Output of important industrial products such as oil seed rape will also be affected.
The BBKA has proposed a programme of research to Government with a budget of just £8 million over five years. during which period pollination, at today’s rate, will have contributed more than £800 million to the agricultural economy.
Ends
Further press information: Christine Gray BBKA Press Officer 01462 450707/07891 000207 christine.m.gray @ btinternet.com.
Comments
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When will this government and DEFRA look beyond our Isles and see the amount of anxious research being done in the understanding that there is a bee crisis looming in the world - and crops may fail and food shortages develop? Why are we the last to act -AGAIN. China recognises the problem -as does the U.S/France/Spain ETC ETC. We are told - CCD hasnt come to the UK.... Neither had varroa 10 years ago - COME ON - BE PREPARED - release extra funding and stop an economic crop failure -because -no bees- no food!
I completely agree that we are looking at a huge loss to the economy of this country if funding is not forthcoming into bee health research, most of the facilities are there it just needs funding to pay for the scientists to do the reasearch.
I urgently plead the case for more funds to be made available in order that the calamity that we are sleep walking into with regards to honey bee health can be properly addressed. As a proportion of the voting public, beekeepers are a minority but the creatures in their charge, are totally reliant on them, which simply means that if we fail to keep on top of diseases,exotic pests, agro-chemicals and a myriad other life threatening challenges, then the honey bee will be no more and because of this we shall all have to learn to exist on a very limited diet.
Because so much research is being done in other countries, this government is hoping answers will come forth. At the moment it appears to be as with other problems, bury your head in the sand untill it happens. When it does happen it may well be too late. All beekeepers have to do as much as they can to lobby the government to put up the £8m we are asking for a research fund.
Is it possible that DEFRA is not putting up the funds to research this issue so they can allow (via the backdoor) GM crops to replace those that are currently pollinated by Bee’s?
I did read that (apparently) some folks think that Bacillus Thuringienses is to blame. Apparently Bt-engineered plants causes and immune response which affects memory formation in bees. However I am not a scientist and I leave it to those brighter than me to look into this connection.
Could the Bee be the first catastrophe of the GM crop?
I found the Bee Health Strategy Doc. disappointing. Much was made of 'sharing, prioritising, working together,liasion', but not much mention of the necessary Goverment funding required, in order to carry out further indepth research by the N.B.U. and other reseach centres. Without the funding these words mean very little. Through the network of R.B.I.s the bee unit has the most direct contact with beekeepers.This is where funding should be concentrated. The only mention of money appeared under the 'revue of beekeepers income',a rather spurious point,considering I am still waiting to 'break even',having spent hundreds of pounds to ensure my bees live on new,clean,disease free frames.The most important figure to emphasis is that of the bees' contribution to food prduction of the U.K. THIS is what should be spur for greater funding for bee health and disease research.
Surely the first thing that we need is registration of beekeepers either directly to BBKA or through local associations. We know the beekeepers who area association minded but we do not know who is keeping bees locally and could be harbouring infections. Without knowing where bees are being kept we shall be singularly ineffective in keeping areas free from infection.
I agree with David Allen. All people who keep bees should in some way be known to the bee inspecters, ie registration. How else are we going to know that the bees kept locally are free of disease, or at least being inspected for disease. As much as I hate big brother, registration should be a must.
Food prices are rising at an alarming rate lose the bees and you will see what a price rise really is DEFRA must be put on the spot we must make sure the MPs get the message, by the way I am totally against registration as I think it will put others off taking up beekeeping I would say the biggest majority of beekeepers think more of their bees than to let any disease get hold if preventable.