On January 9th, Chris posted this to the “wax moth” discussion. “According to the local Bee Inspector (who recently destroyed, burnt and buried one of my hives) 94% of honey imported into the UK contains AFB spores. No other hives in the area, mine or other people's, appear to have AFB and his conclusion was that my bees found a sticky honey jar in a bin.”
We are currently free of AFB in Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada) but we’ve had it in the past, in the period following the imposition of strict live bee importation restrictions ca. 1987. The vector for the AFB infection at the time is unknown, but it was eradicated.
Can anyone point me to hard data/research concerning imported honey as a vector for AFB transmission? What I see online in the scientific literature on this point doesn’t show much of concern. E.g., Mutellini argues that “Since honey is imported mainly for human consumption and not for bee feed…the risk of transmitting AFB through trade in honey is minimal. However, this risk should not be ignored by importing countries which have been shown to be free from AFB at present” (F. Mutinelli. "The spread of pathogens through trade in honey bees and their products (including queen bees and semen): overview and recent developments." Rev. sci. tech. Off. Int. Epiz. 2011, 30(1):263).
Where are the data to support risk assessment regarding the importation of honey and other bee products?
We have no restrictions with respect to the importation of honey bee products to our province.
However, I note that the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia, through Quarantine WA, has strict biosecurity legislation in place, with tough restrictions on the importation of honey and other honey bee products. See
https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/exporting-western-australia/quarantine-information-private-travellers
See also, “Bee products including honey, wax, pollen and royal jelly can be bought into WA but only under strict quarantine conditions,” Mrs Leyland said. Leilani Leyland is president of the Western Australia Farmers beekeeping section. http://www.farmweekly.com.au/news/agriculture/general/news/bee-gear-from-interstate-prohibited-in-wa/2756005.aspx
See also, the import restrictions imposed by the Government of New Zealand and explicit mention of AFB. IMPORT HEALTH STANDARD. BEE PRODUCTS.
https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=11&ved=0ahUKEwiyiOfMqs3YAhXSqYMKHZoZCMIQFghfMAo&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mpi.govt.nz%2Fdmsdocument%2F6427-bee-products-consultation-draft-import-health-standard&usg=AOvVaw2iHGSAzQtx2DMRFaGV5dTa
Does anyone know of the evidence used by the Governments of Western Australia and New Zealand to support these importation restrictions re. honey bee products?
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