Mike asks about the statutary requirements for bees being exported from Australia, particularly in regards to Varroa resistance.

The statutary requirements are that we have to obtain an export permit from AQIS, the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service.  This is dependent upon the exporter satisfying all of the zoosanitary requirements of the importing country. This requires the obtaining of a health certificate from our local Quarantine Inspection Service, and in our case this is provided by the State Dept of Agriculture. It is contingent upon inspection of the bees, monitoring and inspection of ongoing operations including SHB traps, brood combs sampling for viruses and diseases and pests. Honey is also sampled regularly for spores. Premises are also monitored and inspected. So to answer your question directly, there is certification only for freedom from the presence of diseases and pests in the source apiaries. Certification for genetics extends only to freedom from african genes, which like all the mites and SHB are tested for Statewide by continuous sampling in both random and targetted testing programmes. There is no requirement from any importing country to my knowledge, for evidence that the stock is derived from disease, parasite or pest resistant breeding stock. But if thats what the importing country required in its health standard thats what we would have to do. Not sure how easy it would be to certify that reliably though. Surely thats the buyers responsibility to ensure that the stock purchased meets his/her requirements?

Mike also asked "Are there any plans to encourage breeding toward resistance (and genetic diversity) in the exporting community?  When might they be expected to come  
to fruition?"
I assume here that you are still referring to Varroa resistance. All that the exporters can do is seek to source known resistant stock and breed from that, since not having the problem (be it varroa, tracheal or tropilaelaps mites) does not permit selection from survivor stock. Bob has written many times about Terry Brown's efforts in this direction, You will need to explain to me what you mean by "breeding toward genetic diversity" though. 
As to "when", its an ongoing never-ending task, like painting the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

PeterD

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