BBKA ADM Small Hive Beetle

[Chris B]

Don't we have a number of bans in place for countries with SHB right now. So surely if we don't impose one now for Italy we may as well lift all the existing bans.

Outside of the EU, last I heard, the only countries allowable were Australia, NZ, and Argentina, and of those only NZ allowable for packages.
Australia has SHB so bans not based upon SHB but other criteria.

 

[domino]

What happened with this vote?

 

[itma]

What happened with this vote?

Or rather, what will happen at next weekend's ADM?

 

[Teemore]

It would be helpful to know who to attribute this information to.
Who was "the speaker" ???

Sorry, haven't been on the forum a lot recently.... AGM details were:

UPDATE NIHBS AGM & MINI CONFERENCE

SCHEDULE & SPEAKERS
9.30am-10.00 Registration
10.00am-11.00 Talk: The Small Hive Beetle by Willie O’Byrne
11am-11.30 Tea Break
11.30am-12.00 Talk: Stingin’ in the Rain: Conserving Wild Irish Bee by Tomás Murray, National Biodiversity Data Centre
12.pm-12.30 Talk: The Irish Pollinators Initiative by Úna Fitzpatrick
12.30pm – 1.30 Lunch
1.30pm – 3.30 NIHBS AGM
3.30pm-4.00 Tea Break
4.pm – 4.15 Project to increase Varroa tolerance in native Irish honey bees by Keith Browne
4.15 – 4.30 The A.m. mellifera DNA Project by Jack Hassett

Saturday, November 29th; 10am to 4.30pm 2014
Tullamore Court Hotel

Tomás was asked a number of questions relating to SHB and in particular about imports of bumble bee pollinators.

 

[Black Comb]

Interesting that the BBKA's official mouthpiece (BBKA News) jan 2015 has a article about SHB by by 2 NBU officials (page 17).

I quote
" ...expert Pest Risk analysts have re-considered the potential for SHB to be introduced into the UK with produce and other plant products currently imported from Italy. They have concluded that although the pathways related to fruit and soil associated with plants for planting cannot be completely discounted, the evidence suggests that they pose a much lower risk compared to the movement of bees, beekeeping equipment and bee-related products."

" at present we consider the most likely introduction scenario to the UK would arise if a primary trader were to import infected packages of bees, overwinter them and then distribute them to other beekeepers across the UK before discovery."

NBU is part of DEFRA. BBKA have consulted DEFRA. I think its time they opened their eyes.

 

[domino]

I hope they ban them, but suspect they won't because a minority commercial interest is going to outweigh bio-security.

 

[rolande]

I hope they ban them, but suspect they won't

You may be right if Chris Slade's review of Dorset's position is anything to go by

I’m just back from a meeting of the Dorset BKA’s Council. We always have one this time of year principally to discuss the propositions for the BBKA Annual Delegates’ Meeting, which is to be held next weekend and, if thought desirable, to mandate our Delegate to vote in a certain way. This is rarely done as the view of the delegate may change as a result of the debate; otherwise there’s be no point in having the meeting and it could all be done by email! ............................


16. SHB. Not much we can do about it. American Air Force bases are US sovereign territory (news to us!) and they might provide additional entry points as well as ports, plants and imported bees. Our Bee Inspector intends to spend the summer at the seaside looking out for SHB.

 

[peteinwilts]

You may be right if Chris Slade's review of Dorset's position is anything to go by

I would have like to have seen the emails and notes just before varroa landed on our shores. Quite similar, I am sure!

Sitting on the touchline, I see two issues.

1. the BBKA is meant to be 'the voice of the beekeeper' in the UK. However, only half of the nations beekeepers are members of the BBKA, and possibly a good proportion are disillusioned or 'only there for the insurance'.

2. The BBKA 'does not appear' to be a democratic association, and appears as if the few are providing the voice of the many (whether they like it or not).
As only half of the nations beekeepers are with the BBKA, if they care about the subject, then maybe they should host a referendum and allow non-members to vote.

If EU politics are a problem, then rather than making it a national ruling, maybe they should make it a club ruling which will show they actually care about the subject. This would make them untouchable to EU law, as it is the beekeepers that are voting for how the club should be run.

They would then provide teeth and the genitals to influence other associations to follow suit.
Unfortunately (from the sideline) they appear to have neither.

16. I am shocked they did not know this. I though this was common knowledge. However, it is a really crap response. Just because we have leaky borders, does not mean we should welcome everything in (i.e. just because illegal immigrants make their way in, does not mean we should remove all border control)

 

[domino]

How much livestock is imported into the UK by the USAF?

 

[mbc]

The list of spurious reasons to do f all grows even more bizarre, so far I've heard :
- plant imports are the greater risk
- beekeeping will end as we know it without continuing imports
- the Somerset levels were flooded
- it's here/been here already
- imports of bees are safe because they come with health certificates
- Asian hornets pose a greater risk

and now some shyt about American airbases, wtf?

 

[Hivemaker.]

How much livestock is imported into the UK by the USAF?

Fit quite a lot of SHB into a B52.

 

[mbc]

Fit quite a lot of SHB into a B52.

Depends on the size of the love shack

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

How much livestock is imported into the UK by the USAF?

Mostly bovine I should think, and ready for the griddle (and the odd senior raking officer of course)

Not much we can do about it. American Air Force bases are US sovereign territory

Still subject to our rules and regulations used to be a customs officer or three to every base, not sure how it's handled now but that statement was absooolootely b*ll*x

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Fit quite a lot of SHB into a B52.

but only 52 B's ?