Blane White said:
> there is no inspection required for bees from Canada at all.
Yes, that has been discussed in excruciating detail.
But the subject of the message was >>>WTO<<< trading rules.
Canada need not resort to "WTO rules" to sell stuff to us.
They are a "NAFTA trading partner".
Canadian imports HAFTA comply with NAFTA!
Different agreements, different rules for those sharing a several
thousand mile long physical border. Makes sense.
So don't worry - MN's imports of "cold-hardy bees" from Canada are
assured, and will not be affected by WTO.
...and you won't have to inspect them all.
So, I'll say it again:
The current (WTO) "level of protection" in the US includes
inspection and quarantine of each and every imported live bee.
> Interesting discussion but it just doesn't seem to be something to get
> alarmed about.
Not if all one considers is bees from specific places that clearly have some
level of disease control effort, like Canada, New Zealand, or Australia,
but think a few moves ahead:
First, realize that Canada, NZ, and Oz are NOT the issue.
What happens after what comes next?
Who's the NEXT contestant who might want to play?
Who else might point to this agreement and demand "equal treatment"?
...and get it unconditionally, since WTO does not allow "favoritism".
Perhaps the same country that recently tried to sell contaminated honey
to several countries, and then conspired to trans-ship it under "false flag"
documents?
That's the sort of scenario that bothers me.
This is a very bad precedent for "live animal importation rules" in general.
> The last problem was imported without bringing in bees - small hive beetles.
Likely true. Small hive beetle is one of the few pests or diseases that can be
"imported" without bees. But if one looks at a semi-complete list of pests and
diseases (appended below), this is an exception, rather than the rule.
Live bees are the most likely vehicle for spreading bee diseases and pests.
> No system can be devised that will keep out all bees or exotic pests
> that could become a problem.
True, nothing's perfect.
That's why one needs checks and balances.
No one expects "perfect", but blind faith is not a "system".
An actual "system" is what is required.
The UK seems to have a good one.
Let's borrow it from them - they say they won't mind if we do.
> Someone will figure out a way around the system and can thereby put
> an entire industry at risk
That seems to be a depressing, defeatist view.
With that view, why do anything about anything?
With that view, why even employ bee inspectors or state apiarists?
While there are "bee smugglers", there are not many.
APHIS could try harder to catch a few at the airports.
Perhaps APHIS could learn a few tricks from New Zealand and Australia.
I recall that one or the other caught a fellow trying to smuggle bees recently.
> How do you think we got varroa in the late 1980's when imports of live bees
> were banned from everywhere except Canada?
Well, how long do varroa live when isolated from bees?
Not very long.
Seems nearly certain that they got here on LIVE BEES.
But here's a much more entertaining "quiz question"...
Which of the pests and diseases listed below are easiest to
transmit via live bees, and which are nearly impossible to
transmit across oceans in any other way?
Viruses
Paralysis
Sacbrood
Acute Paralysis and Kashmir Virus
Deformed Wing & Egyptian Bee Virus
Slow Paralysis Virus
Black Queen Cell Virus
Filamentous Virus
Y Virus
Bee Virus "X"
Cloudy Wing Virus
Apris iridescent virus
Akansas Bee Virus
Bacteria
American Foulbrood
European Foulbrood
Septicemia
Powdery Scale Disease
Spiroplasmas
Rickettsial Disease
Protozoa
Nosema
Amoeba Disease
Gregarines
Flagellates
Fungi
Chalkbrood
Bettsia Alvei
Stonebrood
Melanosis
Trichoderma lignorum
Mucor mucedo
Aspergillus niger
Claviceps (Only genus known for this one)
Nematodes
Agamomermis
Pest Insects
Wax Moths
Braula coeca
Other Braulidae
Asilidae
Phoridae
Calliphoridae
Pollenia
Conopidae
Phoridae
Sarcophagidae
Tachinidae
Mites
Non-phoretic Mites
Acarus siro
Acarus immoblis
Tyrophagus putrescentiae
Tyrophagus longior
Tyrophagus palmarum
Tyrolichus casei Oudemans
Carpoglyphus lactis
Suidasia pontifica
Phoretic Mites
Neocypholaelaps (in general)
Neocypholaelaps indica
Neocypholaelaps favus
Afrocypholaelaps (in general)
Afrocypholaelaps africana
Edbarellus (in general)
Tropilaelaps
Tarsonemus
Pseudacarapis indoapis
Parasitic Mites
Varroa jacobsoni
Varroa destructor
Varroa underwoodi
Euvarroa sinhai
Euvarroa wongsiri
Tropolaelaps clareae
Tropolaelaps koenigerum
Acarapis externus
Acarapis dorsalis
Acarapis woodi
Pyemotes ventricosus
cohort Parasitengona of the suborder Prostigmata
Erythraeidae: Leptus
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