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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Murray McGregor <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 20 Sep 2002 18:31:27 +0100
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In article <000d01c260b2$97e35b20$aac686d9@default>, Harry Goudie
<[log in to unmask]> writes
>The public are
>beginning to become clued up as to what goes on and are starting to
>discriminate which product they will buy.

I think you and almost all the anti brigade overplay this. I am very
rarely asked these kind of questions by customers, and even then they
are not all seeking to discriminate against the product, they are just
interested.

FWIW, Robt is making much of this story when in fact it is actually very
minor, and being stirred up, in particular by the Sunday Times. The
beekeeper in question has actually been retained by the paper and is
banned from talking to anyone else and all statements are prepared or
vetted by the paper (this info direct from the tv journalist). They
believe there is some kind of payment deal for a good anti GM story
involved here.

The Television and newspaper people had to search hard to find the
people who would give them the kind of soundbites they were after. When
this story broke I was contacted by four newspapers and offered a tv
interview slot, but they were ONLY interested if I was going to say
something newsworthy. In other words I had to say how bad this was and
how much of a threat it all is to our health and our markets. One even
had the quote ready.

One of the papers admitted he had been phoning bee people since morning,
this was at lunch time, trying to get a quote to fit the story, without
success.

This is simply a deliberate scare, and one being seized upon by certain
parties in order to stir it up. I know what endangers my living more.

I fear the scaremongers and their agendas more than I fear the crops.
They have infinite capacity to ruin beekeepers, and the zeal of a cause
which in their eyes will make the mayhem they could cause all
worthwhile.

I am not pro GM, and probably would prefer if it had never come to pass.
However, it has, and now we have to live with it. Preferably in an
atmosphere devoid of hysteria.
--
Murray McGregor

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