I write in support of Nick Wallingford.  Hawaii (where some of the
objecting parties live) has been a pit-like swill hole of lax and
non-existent bee monitoring for decades.  At one point Hawaii produced more
honey than any State or Territory of the US.  In 1948 (I believe) one
fellow from North America brought in hives infected with AFB and wiped out
the industry.
 
Beekeepers here were disappointed to see him return here in the late 70's,
as foreman for one of the large operators who moved into the state, and
begin moving large numbers of hives in on other beekeepers to starve them
out.  Those North Americans are fine citizens indeed.
 
I have seen AFB, EFB, Sac brood, chalk brood and you name it here.  There
is really not anything to protect Hawaii's bees from in New Zealand, while
the opposite is very true... NZ really does have to watch out for Hawaiian
bees (EFB particularly) and North American Bees (mites, EFB, Africans).
 
It is only recently that there has been anyone appointed to be responsible
for the bee industry in Hawaii at all.
 
I have been to New Zealand (6 times), and have concluded that the whole
beekeeping industry is far advanced of the average in Hawaii (with notable
exceptions such as Kona Queen) because of the fact that there is an active
and organized industry which partners actively with government in control
measures etc.  I doubt that Hawaii can even produce a definitive list of
beekeepers (not that our people aren't trying, they just have no resources
or statutory authority except that prohibiting import of live bees, a good
measure, given North America's status).
 
I know of Hawaiian operators who used to be (I don't know how they are now)
into their hives every 6 months with antibiotics, whether they need it or
not.  In NZ, it has been illegal to use Antibiotics on bees since 1965
(correct me here if I am wrong Nick).  A real bright spot is Kona Queen,
which is actively breeding resistance into their lines... an obvious move
that American  beekeepers have largely ignored through lazyness (the two
genes for housecleaning resistance were discovered in the late 40's),
largely a bottom line/behavioral problem rather than a technical one.
 
Nick is right... this is blatant market protectionism and is technically
ridiculous.  But remember, this is the same quarantine branch that
prohibits the importation of flightless domestic ducks, Khaki Campbells
(Anas Platyrhinchos Domesticus) to protect our native wild Koloa (Anas
Platyrhinchos)... and , with a straight face, suggests that I get instead
get "Peking ducks" (note- Peking Duck is a Chinese dish).  What they are
refering to are probably Pekins ducks (the dominant commercial meat breed).
Notably the Pekins breed is an Anas Platyrhinchos Domesticus.
 
This is the general level of officials we are dealing with here... there
are bright spots, but don't be surprised if this idiocy continues.
 
Aloha,
 
mike moriarty