Greetings
I read the report on importing bees from NZ and was quite satisfied
with their discussion of the concerns. They are saying that if there
were potential drawbacks to importing bees from New Zealand, they
would have played themselves out long before now, in Canada and in
the USA as well, since there was no real barrier preventing the
problems from spilling over into the US.

>Since 1985, Canada has imported honey bees from New Zealand. Because
>there are currently no restrictions on the importation into the
>United States of honey bees from Canada, we expect that honey bees
>from New Zealand have been imported into the continental United
>States via Canada since that time. We believe that ... bees on the
>continental United States have been exposed to all of New Zealand's
>bee pests and diseases.

Further:

>New Zealand first requested access to U.S. bee markets in 1978. We
>spent many years researching and preparing documentation related to
>New Zealand's request. In 1999, Dr. Wayne Wehling, APHIS, sought
>input from U.S. beekeepers at the annual meetings of the American
>Honey Producers Association, American Beekeeping Federation, U.S.
>Beekeepers, and the Apiary Inspectors of America. ... In addition,
>we anticipate that many U.S. beekeepers will view the proposed
>importation of honey bees and honey bee germ plasm from New Zealand
>as a benefit.

see:
Risk Assessment: Importation of Adult Queens, Package Bees and
Germplasm of Honey Bees, Apis mellifera L., From New Zealand
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/pra/honeybees/nzealandbee.html
--

Peter Borst <[log in to unmask]>