In case this hasn't been posted on BEE-L on happenings o/s.
Dee
Subj: [Organicbeekeepers] ccd
Date: 07/31/2007 12:30:33 PM Mountain Daylight Time
From: [log in to unmask]
U.S. Congress Asked to Probe Farming Practices as Cause of
Bee Die-Off
Apitherapists issue ‘Passau Declaration’ on Honey Bee
Colony Collapse
Disorder
(Passau, Germany, 3/25/2007) " An international group of
researchers
and practitioners of Apitherapy, the medicinal use of bee
hive
products, meeting in Germany today called on the U.S.
Congress to
investigate new farming practices as a possible cause of
Colony
Collapse Disorder (CCD).
CCD, which results in a massive die-off of honey bees, was
initially
limited to hives in North America, but beekeepers in
several European
nations have recently reported a similar phenomenon. The
cause or
causes of CCD have not been determined. Experts say causes
of CCD may
include environmental stress, malnutrition, unknown
diseases,
parasitic mites, misuse of pesticides, or pollen and nectar
collected
by the bees from genetically modified (GM) crops that
produce Bacillus
thuringiensis (Bt). The problem could affect a third of the
foods
farmers produce and may have a severe economic impact.
See: Are GM Crops Killing Bees? (Spiegel Magazine)
See: Bee Shortage Could Sting Food Production (Fayetteville
Observer)
On March 29, the Horticulture and Organic Agriculture
Subcommittee of
the House Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing called
"Review of
Colony Collapse Disorder in Honey Bee Colonies Across the
United States."
The “Passau Declaration on Colony Collapse Disorder”
was issued today
at the conclusion of the 5th International Congress on Bee
Products,
Apitherapy and Apipuncture in Passau, Germany. It states:
1. We, the scientists, physicians, health practitioners and
beekeepers
participating in the Fifth International Congress on Bee
Products,
Apitherapy and Apipuncture,
2. Gathered here in Passau, Germany, in March 2007,
3. Determined to advance the understanding and use of Bee
Products,
Apitherapy and Apipuncture to promote human health and heal
diseases,
4. Acknowledging the important role honeybees play not only
in human
nutrition and crop pollination, but also in the prevention
and
treatment of many diseases,
5. Dedicate ourselves unreservedly to the health and well
being of the
honeybee, the purity of bee products, and the livelihood of
the
beekeepers, all of which are increasingly threatened all
over the world.
We are convinced that:
1. The massive losses of bee colonies in the United States
are a
warning we should take very seriously,
2. Rapid changes in the earth's climate, ecosystems and
agriculture
are increasingly adverse to the survival of honeybees,
3. New pesticides and genetically modified plants are being
introduced
into the environment without sufficient research into their
potentially harmful effects on honeybees and the purity of
bee products.
4. There is a serious lack of independent research into the
environmental impact of new products and farming methods,
because far
too many of the scientists and regulators in this area have
close ties
to the chemical and biotech industry.
5. The major losses of honeybees not only threaten our food
supply,
but also deprive us of many substances, that are of
increasing
importance to the medical community. As bacteria become
more and more
resistant to all available antibiotics, hospitals have to
be able
resorting to bee products, like honey, to control
infections.
6. Some of the most promising antiviral substances are
found in bee
products like Propolis and Royal Jelly. At the same time,
bee products
are among most effective methods to boost the human immune
system.
Given the growing danger of a global pandemic with new
virus strains
like H5N1, the availability of such products in large
quantities and
high quality will be a key factor in our ability to limit
the spread
of such a disease.
We are determined to:
1. Inform the public and the decision makers about the
medical
consequences of the continued decline of the honeybee
population.
2. Call attention to agricultural practices that threaten
the health
of honeybee colonies and the purity of bee products.
We are asking governments to:
1. Fund independent research into the environmental impact
of new
farming practices, before they are approved for widespread
use.
2. Change the approval process for agricultural chemicals
and
genetically modified crops to require long term studies
that also take
into account sub-lethal effects on honeybees.
3. Tighten the rules to avoid conflicts of interest in the
research
and regulatory community, when it comes to assessing the
risks
associated with new products and methods.
4. Provide funding for research and training in sustainable
farming
and beekeeping methods.
Contact: Walter Haefeker, member of the board of directors
of the
German Beekeepers Association, (Haefeker is also vice
president of the
European Professional Beekeepers Association.),
[log in to unmask];
Dr. Stefan Stangaciu, E-Mail: [log in to unmask] or
[log in to unmask] (www.Apitherapie.de)
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