Jim,
I understand that you are not advocating for a ban on imports of bees from Oz to USA, but having read your link to the Bee Culture article, http://bee-quick.com/reprints/beepocalypse.pdf
I am highly offended that you are so disrespectful of our very strict biosecurity protocols for both import and export of bees and bee products.
You stated "The document (Health Certificate) flatly states that Australia is free of three kinds of undesirable bees, and five different pests and pathogens. This is true only if Australia is actually looking for these bees and pests", and "No actual tests for any pathogens or diseases are done and none of the listed diseases and pathogens can be confirmed without lab analyses." To say that we do not inspect or test for these problems is NOT TRUE. For example, here in Western Australia, my bees (and those of another 99 beekeepers, ie 100 beekeepers per annum) are annually inspected on a random basis for all those problems you described. In addition samples are collected for laboratory analysis of bees, brood and honey. As well the inspectors remove one complete frame of sealed brood for inspection and testing back in the laboratory. Virus sampling is part of the protocol. This testing programme is very expensive, and who do you think pays? The beekeepers of course, all of us, collectively...by means of an annual "Fee for service" levy which we all pay on an annual per hive basis when we pay our annual registration fee!There are many beekeepers unhappy about the payment which currently is $1 per hive, for commercial operators. However the single hive backyarder gets slugged $27. (Our governments work on the "User Pays" philosophy, and since, as far as I am aware there are currently no exporters of bees from WA to USA, you can see we pay a high price to maintain our reputation in case someone like yourself wants proof that we are what we say we are!) Behind the scenes, the states departments of agriculture are very diligent in policing Biosecurity protocols, which in turn are then checked and certified by the Federal agency AQIS. The visual inspection about which you are so concerned, is in fact the last in a whole chain of checks and inspections which underpin our Biosecurity status, and despite your claims, is certainly not the only safeguard used to protect the buyer from the risk of importing something nasty from the antipodes! Your apology would be much appreciated.
Peter Detchon
Western Australia (which IS free from varroa, tropilaelaps, apis cerana, european foulbrood, small hive beetle,and amazingly enough GM broadacre crops, none of which is accidental!)
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