> Jim Fischer has a right to his opinion as do we all but ten years from now I
> am going to post on BEE-L and say. "Jim are you ready to admit none of those
> things happened you warned us about!"

When the Director of the USDA Agricultural Research Service files a "public
comment"
objecting to the lack of adequate biosecurity controls in the USDA APHIS import
rules, this makes it much more than mere "opinion".

When he goes on to warn about Tropilaelaps, Euvarroa mites, and Thai sacbrood
virus, it becomes clear that I am not alone in voicing these concerns.

It becomes the official position of one of the premier bee research
organizations
on the planet, the best brains in the business.  It is the official stance of
the scientific arm of the USDA itself, well-researched, and backed by hard
facts.

So, those who import bees in this interim period when the US has no
mechanisms in place being used by other countries (port-of-entry inspections,
for one) are taking a gamble that puts everyone "at risk".

I am surprised that the beekeeping community as a whole tolerates any small
group
taking such a gamble, externalizing their risk upon the entire industry for
their
own personal profit.

The introduction of exotic invasive pests and diseases as a result of increased
international trade in live bees is not even a "risk", it is a statistical
certainty.

This has happened more than once before, even when the only "imports" were a
tiny number of legitimate scientific importations or smuggling incidents.

I have never been "opposed to bee imports".  I am opposed to the unique lack of
any tangible control mechanisms in the US process, moreso when Europe and the UK

have implemented such elegant inspection systems without objections from any of
the bee exporting countries.

Perhaps "none of those things" will happen, as Rob hopes.

So, to quote Clint Eastwood from "Dirty Harry":
   "You've got to ask yourself one question - 'Do I feel lucky?'"


                    jim

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