Traces version 2

[Karol]

Okay so the first traces thread was moved under the stairs because it became political. Please can we stay on topic.

Back to my original concern, i.e. risk to health of honey bees if import controls are relaxed. How much of an issue is it likely to be do we think? Will there be any impact setting up free ports that allow unfettered imports?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Will there be any impact setting up free ports that allow unfettered imports?

 

[SDM]

Has the current system ever detected a problem ?

 

[B+.]

How much of an issue is it likely to be do we think? Will there be any impact setting up free ports that allow unfettered imports?

IMHO, the risk is far greater in the scenario you paint because we will no longer have health checks in the originating country and everything will have to go through border inspection posts (BIP). How much can they do to check for AFB on a queen and a few attendants? Not much, I would say because there is no brood.
However, I don't think it would be that way. It would be crazy to give up a system that has served us well.

 

[For want of a better word]

IMHO, the risk is far greater in the scenario you paint because we will no longer have health checks in the originating country and everything will have to go through border inspection posts (BIP). How much can they do to check for AFB on a queen and a few attendants? Not much, I would say because there is no brood.
However, I don't think it would be that way. It would be crazy to give up a system that has served us well.

Concern has always been the propensity of a novel honeybee virus getting into the UK population... as with the "Danish Pastry Virus" DPV that is presently sweeping through the brood and doing as much damage 25% reduction of worker brood.... NBU have not even given it a name yet... pinpointed over 2 years ago!!!

AFB from an infected queen?... more likely to be from infected ( imported) honey... but given the money the honey importers could be made to check for the bacteria DNA ( See this months issue of Beefarmers' Association magazine)

OR is that TOO POLITICAL ????

Chons da

 

[SDM]

:
as with the "Danish Pastry Virus" DPV that is presently sweeping through the brood and doing as much damage 25% reduction of worker brood.... NBU have not even given it a name yet... pinpointed over 2 years ago!!!

Evidence appears to pinpoint somewhere in the S.West as ground zero for this. Fortunately it's not yet been seen outside this area.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Evidence appears to pinpoint somewhere in the S.West as ground zero for this. Fortunately it's not yet been seen outside this area.

I don’t suppose you have any information on this?
A quick google simply revealed this https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=37387

 

[SDM]

IMHO, the risk is far greater in the scenario you paint because we will no longer have health checks in the originating country and everything will have to go through border inspection posts (BIP). How much can they do to check for AFB on a queen and a few attendants? Not much, I would say because there is no brood.
However, I don't think it would be that way. It would be crazy to give up a system that has served us well.

Why would there no longer be checks in country of origin? Surely that would only be the case if they were exporting exclusively to the U.K.

 

[Karol]

I think that's part of the concern. No one seems to know what controls will exist with the lifting of import restrictions. The US expects agriculture to feature in any future trade negotiations which will include I imagine bee farming?

 

[Buzzlodge]

Why would there no longer be checks in country of origin? Surely that would only be the case if they were exporting exclusively to the U.K.

Afer Brexit the UK can set out its own import conditions for animals and incorporate requirements for checks at origin, certification etc.
There are international standards for this.
How they would be enforced in the case of queen bees is another matter entirely.

 

[Buzzlodge]

Will there be any impact setting up free ports that allow unfettered imports?

Think of freeports more as bonded warehouses rather then a pirate haven. Nobody will be allowed bring in bees or other animals there.

UK had them up to a few years ago.

 

[thorn]

Afer Brexit the UK can set out its own import conditions for animals and incorporate requirements for checks at origin, certification etc.
There are international standards for this.
How they would be enforced in the case of queen bees is another matter entirely.

The UK has frequently opposed European proposals that may affect the profits of the international agrochemical brotherhood.

 

[SDM]

I don’t suppose you have any information on this?
A quick google simply revealed this https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=37387

Until somebody more credible mentions it, it doesn't exist outside of the Tamar valley.

 

[Karol]

Think of freeports more as bonded warehouses rather then a pirate haven. Nobody will be allowed bring in bees or other animals there.

One would hope so but my understanding is that these would be customs light meaning that there would be little if any regulation preventing diseased transits from around the world mixing with imports from regulated countries.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The concept of a freeport is simple, as Buzzlodge says, something akin to a bonded warehouse good come into the port, go through further manufacturing then get re-imported, all without customary duties levied. Not much use at all if you want the commodity to stay in the UK

 

[Karol]

It's one thing to have bonded warehouses for tariff reasons and quite something else to set up low tax low regulation enterprise zones. The NBU and APHA would have little control over stock passing through these free ports as they would be beyond their jurisdiction and wouldn't have to go through a BIP. So there could be a situation where diseased stock comes in via a transit/breeding business and no controls are applied to its eradication and it just gets dumped in a skip to fly off across or through the chicken wire tax fence.

 

[B+.]

So there could be a situation where diseased stock comes in via a transit/breeding business and no controls are applied to its eradication and it just gets dumped in a skip to fly off across or through the chicken wire tax fence.

Since you aren't a beekeeper, I'd be interested to learn what your real point is (other than slinging mud at imported bees). I've imported bees every year for at least 15 years and never seen a single disease. Quite the opposite, in fact. They've always been completely disease-free.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The NBU and APHA would have little control over stock passing through these free ports as they would be beyond their jurisdiction.

Really? you obviously haven't much of an idea how freeports work

 

[Karol]

Since you aren't a beekeeper, I'd be interested to learn what your real point is (other than slinging mud at imported bees). I've imported bees every year for at least 15 years and never seen a single disease. Quite the opposite, in fact. They've always been completely disease-free.

I think you've got hold of the wrong end of the stick B+. This is about protecting ethical importers such as you and protecting legitimate and safe imports.

 

[Karol]

Really? you obviously haven't much of an idea how freeports work

Until they are actually set up nor does anyone else. The impression I get is that the planned free ports will be customs light.