Indeed, the question as to how the importation of Hawaii queens into
Canada fits the Canada/US border closure, is interesting.
Perhaps, I could first comment on your question about quality. The
commercial queen producers in Hawaii are professionals and they supply
good queens. Most of the queen (and package) producers that supplied
Canadian beekeepers before 1988 were equally good and reliable. Of
course, in any industry you find a few rotten apples, but as history has
shown many commercial operators in Canada developed longterm business and
personal relations with American suppliers because high quality stock was
supplied. Perhaps because of this strong bond, it was so hard for many
Canadian producers to change their beekeeping practices from annual
package operations to wintering.
Ever since the border with the US was closed, commercial operators in the
prairie provinces experienced difficulties in obtaining queens in early
spring. A small group of producers appealed to Canadian Honey Council
and federal government to authorise the controlled importation of queens
from Hawaii. Initially, there was insufficient support from industry
and governments to consider such importation. Perhaps, part of the
reluctance stemmed from the harsh debates on the border issue that had
taken place in 87/88. Also, due to a lack of factual information, there
was ongoing unease about the true health status of bees in Hawaii, and
the regulatory infrastructure needed to keep the State free of mites.
Eventually, more information from Hawaii became available and parasitic
mite infestations in Canada changed the attitudes of many. In January,
1993, Canadian Honey Council voted in support of importations of Hawaiian
queens providing mite surveys with an Canadian inspector on site had
taken place, confirming the absence of parasitic mites in Hawaii.
To accommodate the industry request, the Canadian government had to amend
its animal health regulations to allow a specified source (Hawaii) to
ship livestock to Canada which the remainder of that country (the US) was
not authorised to do. Through Ministerial order, Hawaii was granted
permission to ship queens to Canada in the spring of 1993, providing it
remained mite-free.
Paul van Westendorp [log in to unmask]
Provincial Apiculturist ph. (604) 576-5639
BC Ministry of Agriculture fx. (604) 576-5652
Fisheries & Food
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