Could honey bees finally be able to catch a break? Plagued with mysterious massive die-offs, or Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), commonly attributed to multiple factors of pesticides, mites, bacteria and virus infections and malnutrition, honey bees in Europe could finally have a move in their favour. Beekeepers and supporters have staged a demonstration in London, urging support for a ban on neonicotinoid pesticides in Europe, a common culprit for CCD. Read more

Beekeepers March: Action Urged Over Pesticides

Campaigners stage a protest calling on the Government to vote in favour of a European ban on certain pesticides

In Sky News (26 April 2013):

Beekeepers and their supporters have staged a demonstration in central London, urging Britain to support a ban on certain pesticides.

The ‘March of the Beekeepers’ in Parliament Square comes ahead of a crucial vote in Brussels next week.

Campaign groups are urging the Environment Secretary Owen Paterson not to block an EU proposal to suspend the use of certain types of neonicotinoid pesticides which they claim are linked to a decline in the bee population.

Member states are due to decide whether or not to introduce a two-year moratorium on their use on Monday.

Unlike France, Spain and Italy, Britain is widely expected to abstain or vote no against the neonicotinoid ban, saying the impact of the pesticides on bees is unclear and the restrictions could harm crop production.

The demonstration began at Westminster

Celebrities including fashion designers Dame Vivienne Westwood and Katharine Hamnett and artist Rachel Whiteread will be among those protesting at Westminster.

Ahead of the march, Ms Hamnett told Sky News: “The European Food Safety Agency – who are usually very right wing and on the side of business – are saying we definitely need this ban, and if they are saying it we really are in trouble.

“We have a huge problem with the British Government failing to support it and it’s quite hard to understand when you have got the Pesticide Action Network, the Soil Association, the Beekeepers Association (and) all the scientists saying this group of pesticides, neonicotinoids, kills bees.”

Friends of the Earth, one of the demonstration organisers, said the Government needed to take urgent action to protect declining bee populations by supporting the European Commission proposals.

The group’s head of campaigns, Andrew Pendleton, said: “Ministers can’t ignore the growing scientific evidence linking neonicotinoid insecticides to bee decline.

“Their claims to be concerned about bee health will ring hollow if they fail to back European moves to restrict the use of these chemicals.

“If we lose our bees and other vital pollinators it will have a devastating impact on our food, gardens and environment. We urgently need tougher pesticide restrictions and a British Bee Action Plan to tackle all the threats they face.”

Katharine Hamnett has launched a t-shirt range to back the bee campaign

But others claim there is no evidence to suggest neonicotinoids do harm bees.

Nick von Westenholz, chief executive of the Crop Protection Association, which represents the pesticides industry, told Sky News that while laboratory tests had shown some impact, “out in the field there is no effect being shown on bee health in real life”.

Chemical firm Syngenta added: “The groups marching today … have never presented any evidence from the field that these pesticides damage the health of bees.

“Somewhat irresponsibly, they are presenting a ban on them as the silver bullet for improving bee health.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: “We respect people’s right to protest but decisions that affect the whole of Europe need to be based on scientific evidence. So far studies have not shown that neonicotinoids pose a serious threat.

“We have urged the EU to carry out a European-wide study before making a decision. Instead, it is pressing ahead with a ban that could have serious unintended consequences for food production.

“Unless the EU’s proposals change we will have to vote against them.”

Last month campaign group Avaaz took their argument to Brussels

Earlier this month a cross party committee of MPs, the Environment Audit Committee, unanimously urged the Government to restrict the use of sprays containing neonicotinoids.

The demonstration was organised by nine campaign groups – Avaaz, Buglife, Environmental Justice Foundation, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, Pesticide Action Network UK, RSPB, Soil Association and 38 Degrees.

http://news.sky.com/

Health problems of bees are due to multiple factors

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)

Paris , 28 April 2010 – Arthropod parasites such as Varroa mites as well as virus and bacteria infections, pesticide exposure, and poor nutrition resulting from other environmental issues linked with human behaviour, are all concomitant factors which threaten the survival of certain bee colonies worldwide. Similarly, the causes of honey bee Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), a recently described phenomenon leading to global extensive losses of bee colonies, are unquestionably multi-factored, concluded experts of an OIE ad hoc group on diseases of honey bees.

“Honey and royal jelly are examples of precious food that we owe to bees but foremost we owe them abundant harvesting of fruits and vegetables since they contribute to pollinate the flowers which will produce the harvest” Dr Bernard Vallat, OIE Director General said and “thus, bees contribute to global food security and their extinction would represent a terrible biological disaster. That is why the OIE considers bees’ mortality and bee diseases to be a priority in its Strategic Plan 2011- 2015.” he added.

A world review of honey bee health confirmed CCD occurs in bee populations of North America, Europe and Japan. Experts agreed that the irresponsible use of pesticides might have an impact on bee health in particular by weakening bees and increasing their susceptibility to different diseases. However pesticides can not be considered as the only factor affecting bee health. Biological factors, lack of biosecurity measures to be implemented by beekeepers and climate change might also have detrimental effects on bee health.

“Resources to establish increased surveillance and registration processes, inspection, diagnoses and research capacity are missing in many countries and regions of the world,” Dr Wolfgang Ritter, chair of the ad hoc Group commented and “there is an important need for more international guidelines for bee disease surveillance and disease control programmes,” he added.

Global state of health of honey bees

Independently from CCD, the Group concluded that knowledge on the clinical signs and modes of action of most bee viruses and other pathogens is still insufficient and recommended research continues to try and unravel the multiple factors that threaten the health of honey bees and other pollinators.

Various bee arthropod parasites have been pinpointed as active in different parts of the world among which, infestation with Varroa, Nosema and Tropilaelaps mites are identified as the most frequent sanitary issue of beehives globally.

In addition, a new form of Varroa , Varroa jacobsoni, that is pathogenic to Apis mellifera was detected in Oceania in 2008 and now presents a new threat to beekeeping in the region as well as globally.

“The OIE will propose to the international community to intensify the research on the causes of the mortality of bees and to better control and fight against the numerous emerging and already known diseases on the basis of the standards and guidelines adopted by the organisation, including in the field of biosecurity of global and regional trade of bees between countries, which is a major cause of global contaminations,”, Dr Vallat further commented.

http://www.oie.int/