RE: Blane White Posting
         Dear Blane
           Last week Tom's post explained in more details the mite testing
done on a state wide
basis here in Hawaii. Additional information  about the Hawaii state law
which since 1985 has
disallowed the importation of honeybees and or honeybee equipment into
Hawaii from any
where in an attempt to stop the introduction and spread of mites and AHB. In
1985 no one
had started talking about viruses and the law may have protected Hawaii from
the viruses
which may have first gotten on honeybees in Australia and New Zealand. In
1979 Drs. Bailey
and Ball reported that the new strains of viruses would be a threat to
honeybees in the
Americas and Europe if allowed to be introduced to honeybee colonies already
infected with
mites. This law has severely slowed the growth of the honeybee business in
Hawaii and more
importantly maybe kept a safe haven for American honeybees. The state of
Hawaii is
composed of many small islands with 5 major islands having honeybee activity
today. You are
correct in that extensive testing has not been done on Hawaii honeybee
populations to
understand the baseline health status of the honeybee colonies on each
island. I have been
trying to get such a testing program underway since1994 when the USDA
attempted to allow
New Zealand honeybees into the United States in violation of the original
intent of the
Honeybee Act of 1922.
       The Honeybee Act of 1922 had a strict prohibition against the
importation of honeybee
to the US to "prevent the introduction and spread of disease and parasites
harmful to
honeybees".  The act allowed for importation of honeybees If the secretary
of Agriculture
determined a country to " free of  disease or parasites harmful to
honeybees".   The USDA in
their 1990 Federal Registry notice of the USDA intent to allow N.Z. bees
into the U.S. stated
in  the opening paragraph that the Secretary Of Agriculture had  determined
that NZ
honeybee were " free of  honeybee pest and disease" This incorrect and
fraudulent statement
was made to establish document credibility in the opening paragraph. NZ
honeybees are
widely reported to have plenty of honeybee pest and disease . NZ honeybee
researchers
have tried to say that these pest and diseases are of no economic concern to
honeybees. By
definition if the pest and disease are harmless why are they still referred
to as pest and disease
of honeybees.
Furthermore who can say how the pest and diseases might effect other
honeybees in different
climates. Granted NZ and Canada share similar climates and Hawaii is very
different. After I
began my investigation I found inconsistency after inconsistency to the
point that I felt the
entire process had been corrupted  and that great caution must be employed
when dealing
with the USDA. I can cite lots of problems discovered with my investigation.
I continue to
have concerns when dealing with this issue as much smoke and mirrors are
found everywhere,
and the fact that the Honeybee Act was gutted of it's original intent in
1995 by the GATT
treaty without ANY notice or ANY input about the changes.
     Your concern that the intent of the concerns here in Hawaii are to
protect our Hawaii
beekeeping interests are not very accurate. I am a neophyte keeper of the
bees and I am a
very curious person who happened to accidentally discover the process that
would allow the
future of US beekeeping to be given to a foreign nation. I believe that for
the good of the
United States that a much more in-depth review must be under taken to
protect honeybee
around the world from the continued spread of honeybee pest and disease. Too
few people
have been involved in the past with this very  complicated issue. Granted
the honeybee crisis
in the world seems to exploding and the shipment of honeybees around the
world  seems to
be the way that ALL honeybee pest and disease have been spread around the globe.
       Hoping the posting will motivate more beekeepers in the U S and
around the world to
ask a few more questions and not be so DAMN accepting of what ever is said
by the
"EXPERTS" working without any peer review. This could be an issue of human
survival. The
Devine order provided the human race with the meager little honeybee as
chief pollinator of
the foods of the human race. Now we beekeepers as keepers of the bees must
work for the
continued well being of the honeybee. Quick fixes I am afraid will result in
continued
honeybee problems. Just because a few people feel that honeybee shipments
should be
allowed with out concern is not proof that no harm will be done.
       Sincerely  Walter Patton
 
Walter & Elisabeth Patton,  27-703 A Ka' ie'ie Rd., Papaikou HI.,96781
    Ph./Fax. 808-964-5401       E-Mail  hihoney@ilhawaii
 
Beekeeper and Bed  & Breakfast Owner in Hawaii
 
  http://www.alohamall.com/hamakua/hihoney.htm
http://www.alohamall.com/hamakua/beeware.htm
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