The letter following this article has been circulating in
  Canada recently and may be of interest to BEE-L readers.

  Now that

  1. Both mites are widely distributed in Canada, and

  2. NAFTA, was signed a while back, committing Canada,
      the US, and Mexico to lowering trade restrictions, and

  3. Since, over the past decade and a half it has
      become obvious that cutting off trade with the US
      has been very harmful to many Canadian beekeepers,
      not to mention the southern beekeepers who lost a
      major portion of their package and queen business

  4. Powerful opposition to the ban is building in Canada

  5. Some US and Canadian beekeepers are complaining
      about favouritism shown to new Zealand and Australia
      even though NZ has varroa -- and has exported infested
      bees -- and AUS has SHB, and since Australia, moreover
      does not test exhaustively for varroa incursion, and since

  6. Beekeeping in most of Canada is very highly dependent on
      annual imports of stock from warmer regions

  7. US beekeepers have demonstrated that they are able to
      maintain healthy bees in spite of the mites.

  8. There is
      a. No evidence that AHB genes are not already in Canada
      b. No evidence that AHB has proven to be a public health
          menace in a developed temperate country as fear mongers
          had predicted

  At this point, there is little justification for maintaining an embargo on
US mainland bees and CFIA is relaxing the ban on mainland queens and is
re-examining the legitimacy of maintaining the package bee ban, and
considering ways and timeframes to phase it out.

  I have dealt with the issue in several pages of my diary --
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/ -- over the summer and editorialized on
the question as well.  For those interested, just start at the current page,
and go back a few pages.  (Sorry, but I have not isolated the border
discussion from the background noise of my life chronicled there).

  At any rate, this is the time for any US parties who feel they have an
interest in this matter to stand up and be counted.  Many of us see no
reason for any border controls on bees whatsoever, inasmuch as economic
beekeeping in Canada is very highly dependent on annual imports of stock
from warmer regions.  Wide-open two-way trade could be very beneficial to
beekeepers in both Canada and the US.

  Please write, fax and phone your position to the parties listed below and
to the Canadian Honey Council http://www.honeycouncil.ca/ and to provincial
organisations.  Also your congressman, etc.   Attend the upcoming Canadian
meetings.

  allen

  --- begin quoted letter ---

  Subject: Importation of Honeybee Queens from Continental US

  The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is proposing to amend the
current regulation that prohibits the importation of honeybees from the
continental United States. The amendment will allow the importation of
honeybee queens and their attendants from the continental U.S. Packaged bees
will continue to be prohibited from importation.

  This action is being undertaken after CFIA was advised of major shortages
of available queens in many provinces during the spring of 2003 and was
requested to review Canada's import policies for honeybees. The risk
assessment on the importation of U.S. bees also determined that the import
of honeybee queens poses a lesser disease risk than packaged bees.

  The proposed amendment will not result in the uncontrolled entry of
honeybee queens into Canada. The existing provisions of the Health of Animal
Regulations require importation to occur with the use of an import permit.
The conditions of the import permit will be further developed with industry
and other stakeholders

  Could you please circulate this to the provincial apiculturists and
regional industry associations. If there are comments or concerns at this
time, I would ask that they be forwarded to Dr. Samira Belaissaoui, Staff
Veterinarian, at [log in to unmask]  or by facsimile to (613)
228-6630. I would also remind Canadian Stakeholders that they will have an
opportunity to comment on the proposed amendment following its publication
in the Canada Gazette I.

  Yours sincerely,

  Dr. Sarah Kahn, BVSc, MSc
  Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer and Director
  Animal Health and Production Division
  Tel: (613) 225-2342, Ext. 4602
  Fax: (613) 228-6631
  E-mail: [log in to unmask]




http://www.honeybeeworld.com

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