>There is a body of beekeepers in the UK that are anti-import and will
use any reason they can to support their agenda.  A ban on imports
from SHB free areas is never going to happen...

Yes, and that body is growing very quickly.  Most imports are by commercial operators who want queens early, either to help them in swarm control, or to enable them to sell nucs before home-produced queens are ready.

We have now seen clear evidence that local bees are best - and that message is at long last getting through both to established 
and, more importantly, new beekeepers.

SHB is nothing to do with scaremongering: there a whole range of pathogens out there that we do not have at present and it seems eminently sensible to many of us that we take all possible steps to keep it that way.  Obviously those who make a living by exporting bees would not see it that way.

As to the ban on imports, it is an unfortunate fact that as EU members we cannot do this - although some EU countries seem to have managed to set up protected areas.  However, there is now a majority of people in the UK who would vote today to leave the EU - watch this space...

Best wishes

Peter 
52°14'44.44"N, 1°50'35"W

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