Working for the benefit of bees and apiculture - Canadian ...
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Apimondia
Working for the benefit
of bees and apiculture
ISBN 978-88-941041-6-5
W O R LTDE S
BTEA
ETD
INAY
A 3
PRESENTATION
The genesis of this publication is somewhat peculiar as the idea of producing something for the benefit of
bees and beekeeping had been simmering in Apimondia for quite some time without seeing the light at
the end of the tunnel or a possible announced date of birth.
Then a flash! What best opportunity to address these issues in conjunction with the first celebration of the
World Bee Day!
At that point and on the wings of the consensus of all the members of the Executive Council of Apimondia
everything went very swiftly.
This publication is a first and therefore still suffering from some inevitable teething problems, not last the
fast timespan in which it saw its birth as it was concocted and assembled in a very short time to meet the
deadline of 20 May, World Bee Day.
The next editions will certainly be more polished and also have a bit more ambition in the messages that
they purport to deliver.
The scientific contributions in this publication are the expression, by all means not exhaustive of the entire
spectrum of apicultural issues at stake, of the various and most important themes that revolve around the
apicultural sector in different scientific domains as well as geographical regions. We only tried to put
them nicely and conveniently all together in a single and hopefully useful publication.
There is not one single way of practicing beekeeping round the world that fits all scenarios. There is
instead a host of different realities that need to be properly and consistently contextualised to ensure that
beekeeping thrives in a sustainable fashion and passes the hard test of time against the reckless assaults
that mankind is delivering to the environment and to the bees.
Our hope and wish is that this collection of insights, reflections and informed recommendations from
the experts of Apimondia may act as a guiding and reference tool for all those who operate as policy-
makers or hold stakes in the apicultural sector wherever they are located.
Respecting the bees entails taking very good care of the environment thus ensuring a bright and sustain-
able future also to mankind in the process.
Riccardo Jannoni-Sebastianini
Secretary-General of Apimondia
Apimondia
4 WO
TERS
LTDAB
TEIN
E AD A Y
KEY MESSAGES FROM APIMONDIA
TThe list of issues that impact beekeepers globally continues to grow, become more complex and ever
more interrelated.
The Executive Committee of Apimondia recently spent time examining bee and beekeeping related
issues and trying to prioritise the impact of the issues on beekeeping globally.
Whilst this list is not designed to be totally exhaustive, it is clear that there are five main issues that impact
all regions of the world. Apimondia is focusing on some of the biggest issues facing beekeepers and dis-
cussion of global issues helps people around the world find global solutions to these problems. Greater
global collaboration, leadership, focus and actions can help to lessen their impact on beekeepers and
through this improve the outlook of food security for all.
Perhaps the greatest challenge for beekeepers is operating in an environment of increasing agri-
cultural intensity negatively impacted by climate change. The landscape for bees is being driven
by the dilemma of feeding a growing global population. Never before has the environment for bees
become so hostile in so many parts of the world. The impact is keenly felt for beekeepers as they navi-
gate issues such as pesticide and chemical use and their impact on bees. Apimondia also notes that the
issue of the environment is in many ways the most challenging to solve but we must continue to strive for
a better environment for our bees to exist and thrive.
The next challenge to the viability of beekeeping is that of honey fraud (adulteration) in all its
various forms and declinations. Adulteration of honey (and bee products more generally) and the
impact on the market it produces has lead to dysfunctional beekeeping economics in almost every
corner of the world. Honey fraud threatens the basis upon which natural quality beehive products
compete and sadly much of the value chain is still blind to the threats of fraudulent honey and bee prod-
ucts. Apimondia will play an increasingly important role in driving solutions to honey fraud into the future
as it is the voice that represents the beekeepers globally.
Apimondia
W O R LTDE S
BTEA
ETD
INAY
A 5
Apimondia recognises that the key to solving many of the challenges facing beekeeping and bees lies
in the hands of increased awareness of both the public and policy makers across many topics. To
this end we can not focus enough on strategies that improve awareness and lead to a more informed
and educated global community who hold the bee at the core of food production and food security.
The World Bee Day represents an ideal and vast-echoing forum for delivering messages on the state of
health of the apicultural sector.
Probably eternally on the list of issues impacting bees will be that of bee health, nutrition and
biology. The key scientific role that Apimondia plays in supporting a network of scientists and beekeep-
ers whose lives are devoted to advancing knowledge and practices that lead to better health is crucial.
Apimondia reckons that progress in these areas will be achieved through strategic partnerships to aggre-
gate on an international scale both knowledge and financial resources to be put at the service of these
key issues.
On a more positive note beekeepers do have control of many factors. Improvements in good bee-
keeping practices and advancing knowledge helps beekeepers to do everything within their own
control to take good care of their bees and improve the returns from their efforts or businesses. To this
end Apimondia’s networks and members play are able to provide leadership and disseminating real life
examples of best practice.
Apimondia through a strategic planning process is currently exploring the best ways to build strategies
to help build the profile of Apimondia and grow the peak body of the beekeeping associations of the
world in a way that meets the fast paced, constantly changing beekeeping community. It is clear that
Apimondia needs to play a larger role than that of organising the congresses for which it has become
world renowned.
The celebration of World Bee Day is an incredible opportunity to inform people about the issues bee-
keepers face and will act as an increasingly important annual tool to build public awareness.
World Bee Day helps sow the seeds within the broader community to bring changes at all levels. Whilst
ever our focus remains with the bee we can be sure that all of our interests will be well served.
Apimondia
W O R L D B E E D AY 7
THE HUMBLE HONEY BEE
One of the most exciting developments in beekeeping today is the recognition of the importance of
the honeybee. In December 2017 at the United Nations in New York ‘World Bee Day’ was officially
th
announced for the 20 May. Great credit is due to our colleagues from Slovenia for their efforts in
having ‘World Bee Day’ declared.
Throughout history beekeeping has been part of mankind’s development and in practically every century
new innovations were identified. We know that the Egyptians were practicing a form of beekeeping
around 2400 - 2600 years ago during the time of the ‘Old Kingdom’. From drawings and writings, we
know that the powerTurofaliquid elitius was
fire and smoke ne vendis
identified, beekeepers were depicted blowing smoke into
hives as they removed the honey-combs. The honey would then be stored in earthenware jars.
adit, sam, aut maiorerfere num
Coming forward toque pratiores
the sixteenth dolorem
century everiathat the Spanish brought the first European honey
we learned
bees to South America. Through the seventeenth and eighteenth century we had major developments not
qui apiet
least of which was the movable frame hive. George Wheler, Johann Dzierzon and Lorenzo Langstroth all
added to what we now regard as modern day beekeeping. So, beekeeping continues to evolve. Across
the world we continue to see the rise of ‘natural beekeeping’, otherwise known as ‘bee-friendly’
or ‘api-centric beekeeping’. This has, in turn, resulted in the developments of different kinds of hives,
intended to allow the bees to build natural combs.
The importance of the honeybee in pollination is now recognised globally and much of our food, and
indeed some fabric being produced, depends on pollination. With all this development our beloved
honeybee perhaps did not get the recognition it deserved.
Apimondia, through its Scientific and Regional Commissioners, give an over view of the developments
in Beekeeping globally. Beekeeping Economy, Bee Health, Apitherapy, Bee Biology, Technology &
Quality, Rural Development and Pollination & Bee Flora - each addresses the issues facing beekeepers
and give you an overview of the work being done on a global scale as we now face new challenges
that affect not only the honeybee but also mankind itself. Each of our five Regional Commissioners can
identify, in their respective areas, the difficulties that face our membership and give guidance and lead-
ership when and where required. As the world leader in beekeeping, Apimondia, at each of its con-
gresses, has been to the fore in presenting solutions to the myriad of problems now facing the honeybee,
but we need to address these problems to the wider public.
The announcement of ‘World Bee Day’, approved in December by the United Nations, brings the hon-
eybee and its importance to a whole new audience. Recognition for the fact that honeybees play such
a critical role in pollination of various plants and crops, their decline across the globe means a growing
risk to the nutrition of people living in areas most dependent upon those foods. They are critical polli-
nators: they pollinate 70 of the around 100 crop species that feed 90% of the world. Honeybees are
responsible for $30 billion a year in crops. We may lose all the plants that bees pollinate, all the animals
that eat those plants and so on up the food chain.
Philip McCabe
President of Apimondia
Apimondia
8 W O R L D B E E D AY
C ON TENTS
3 presentation
4 key messages from apimondia
7 message from the president of apimondia
11 ON THE INITIATIVE OF SLOVENIA 20TH MAY WAS
DECLARED WORLD BEE DAY BY THE UNITED NATIONS
Peter Kozmus
15 apimondia an important meeting place
Asger Søgaard Jørgensen
19 africa arising
» p. 11 David Mukomana
23 issues of concern for beekeepers in the americas
Misael Cuevas Bravo
29 Asia is a haven for bees
Cleofas R. Cervancia
33 EUROPE: the state-of-the-art
amidst threats and opportunities
Diego Pagani
37 OCEANIA: REGIONAL INFORMATION
austRALIA & NEW ZEALAND
Jodie Goldsworthy and Maureen Maxwell
» p. 19
Apimondia
W O R L D B E E D AY 9
International Federation of Beekeepers’ Associations -Apimondia
www.apimondia.org
43 APIThERAPy
CURRENT SITUATION AND PERSPECTIVES
Cristina Mateescu
47 honey science
Karl Crailsheim
51 beekeeping as a source of well-being
Nicola Bradbear
57 APICULTURE,
the challenges of tomorrow
Etienne Bruneau
61 CURRENT SITUATION » p. 43
OF THE INTERNATIONAL HONEY MARKET
Norberto García
65 threats and importance of bee pollinators
in human-dominated landscapes
Fabrice Requier
69 challenges to honey bees from pest and diseases
Jeff Pettis
72 GOOD BEEKEEPING PRACTICEs (GBP S )
AND DISEASE PREVENTION
Jorge Rivera-Gomis et al.
» p. 57
Apimondia
10 W O R L D B E E D AY
W O R L D B E E D AY 11
ON THE INITIATIVE OF SLOVENIA
20TH MAY WAS DECLARED
WORLD BEE DAY
BY THE UNITED NATIONS
Peter Kozmus
THE ROLE OF BEES
Bees and other pollinators are of
extreme significance for the lives
of people. As much as one third of
food produced in the world depen-
ds on pollination and bees hold the
On 20th December 2017, 20th May most important role in this among
all pollinators. Among other things,
was declared World Bee Day by the pollination makes it possible to have
agricultural production that guaran-
General Assembly of the United Nations tees safe food supply and bees with
their highly nutritious products are
in New York. This concluded a lengthy also important contributors to bet-
ter food quality for people.
process, which started in 2014.
WIDER SIGNIFICANCE
Numerous institutions had taken part in it OF POLLINATION
TThrough pollination bees have
and through it all it was clear that the saying positive effects on the whole ecosy-
stem and the related preservation
World Bee Day unites Slovenians and connects of biodiversity. Biodiversity is the
key to the development and pre-
the world is true - this was uttered by servation of natural environment.
Among others things, it provides
State Secretary Tanja Strniša, MSc, when food, oxygen, it purifies our water
and air, it keeps the weather and
the idea was presented in 2015 in Brussels climate stable and helps improve
the capability of adapting to chan-
Apimondia12 T EOSRTLADT IBNEAE D A Y
W
ges. Apart from that, bees are a to increasing areas of land with
good bioindicator of environmen- single-crop farming and due to the
tal conditions. By monitoring their changed and more intensive grass
development and health we can production technology there is less
make assessments as to when so- and less land with nectar plants;
mething is going on in a particular what is more, it provides bees with
environment and when an action the necessary food of poorer variety
has to be taken. If we fail to react than in the past and during shorter
to warning signs in time, the later periods only. Apart from that, bees
consequences can be even more de- face global climate change, new di-
vastating. Apart from that, bees are seases and pests, globalisation and
important for many other reasons, several other threats.
which are presented in the new People are not aware enough of
book No bees, No Life. these and other facts and this is
one of the main reasons we need
THE ENDANGERMENT World Bee Day.
OF BEES intensive farming. Their habitat is
Recently bees and other pollinators changing and shrinking, and this WHY 20TH MAY?
are becoming more and more en- makes their living and development 20th May was proposed because
dangered, especially in areas with conditions poorer and poorer. Due this is the birthday of Anton Janša
ApimondiaW O R L D B E E D AY 13
(1734-1773), a well-known pione-
er of modern beekeeping and one
of the leading experts on bees of
his time. He was the first teacher
of modern beekeeping in the world
because he was appointed a profes-
sor at the new beekeeping school
in Vienna by the Austrian Empress
Maria Theresa. His work and life is
described in many books on beeke-
eping, including Svetovna zgodovi-
na čebelarjenja (Global Beekeeping
History) published in 1999.
FROM THE IDEA
TO THE DECLARATION
More than three years have pas-
sed from coming up with the idea
to the declaration. Neither of us
involved in making this happen
knew at the beginning that the
whole process would be so de-
manding and time-consuming.
Between the idea and the decla-
ration, therefore, many steps were
taken; many events, meeting, vi-
sits etc. took place that helped us
reach the final goal. The Ministry
of Agriculture, Forestry and Food
(MAFF) was involved in many
activities during the whole pro-
cess; to promote the initiative it
also built the Bee World pavilion,
which thrilled numerous visitors
at various events, particularly out-
side Slovenia. These are the main
steps or rather milestones in the
process from the start until the fi-
nal declaration:
14.09.2014. The Slovenian Beeke-
epers’ Association (SBA) President
comes up with the idea for World
Apimondia14 T EOSRTLADT IBNEAE D A Y
W
Bee Day Declaration Initiative. 7.07.2017. The support of FAO at us human beings too. Not only big
26.09.2014. The Minister of the ministerial conference. steps matter here, each and every
Agriculture Dejan Židan, MSc, 20.12.2017. In New York, Uni- one who improves the survival of
from MAFF expresses his support ted Nations declares 20th May bees counts.
for the idea. World Bee Day.
6.10.2014. The idea receives sup- Further information on World ACTIONS WE CAN TAKE
port from Borut Pahor, the Presi- Bee Day (WBD), past and upco- TO IMPROVE
dent of Slovenia. ming events, important milesto-
THE SURVIVAL OF BEES:
2.04.2015. The Slovenian go- nes, along with various e-mate-
• plant native nectar plants (the
vernment, on the initiative of rials that may be useful for event
list can be obtained on SBA’s web
MAFF, approves the initiative organisers, is available on the fol-
page);
and appoints an inter-ministerial lowing webpage: www.worldbee-
• use nectar plants for decorative
working group to carry out the day.org/si
purposes (on balconies and other
whole process.
areas outside);
10.6.2015. The initiative is pre-
sented to the Director-General CELEBRATING • preserve old meadows with greater
plant variety;
of the Food and Agriculture Or- WORLD BEE DAY
• sow meadows with nectar plants.
ganization of the United Nations The main purpose of celebrating
• only mow the blossoming mea-
(FAO), Mr José Graziano da Sil- World Bee Day is threefold:
dows after blooming;
va, and to the countries associated 1. making people aware of how
• buy honey and other hive pro-
with the FAO Regional Offices. important bees are for our sur-
ductsat the nearest beekeeper;
15.09.2015. At the 44th Inter- vival,
• give moral support to beekeepers;
national Apicultural Congress in 2. becoming acquainted with cur-
• set aside a suitable piece of
Daejeon, South Korea, the initia- rent issues in protecting bees,
farmland available for bees on a
tive receives support and endor- and
temporary or permanent basis;
sement from the largest interna- 3. informing the public about me-
• limit the use of pesticides that
tional beekeeping organisation asures that have to be taken by
are harmful to bees;
Apimondia. all of us so that bees will have a
• mow blooming plants in orchards
30.09.2016. The presentation of better chance of surviving in the
and vineyards before spraying
the initiative to the Committee future.
with pesticides.
on Agriculture at the Food and Not enough has been done for the
The above-mentioned options are
Agriculture Organization of the bees by simply establishing the
not suitable for everyone but I
United Nations (FAO) in Rome WBD and most of the work is still
believe that each person can look
(1st step of the formal procedure unfinished. Celebrating WBDs is
through them and find an idea
within FAO). an opportunity that can be used to
about what he or she can do in
9.12.2016. The presentation of good advantage by organisations
future to help bees survive. If we
the initiative to the Council of involved in beekeeping. In this re-
come up with ideas and then put
the Food and Agriculture Orga- spect, it would be great if as wide
them into practice, World Bee Day
nization of the United Nations a public as possible was included
will serve its purpose.
(FAO) in Rome, Italy (2nd step in order to help us improve con-
of the formal procedure within ditions for the survival of bees as Peter Kozmus
FAO). best as it can and in the process of Vice-President of Apimondia
ApimondiaW O R L D B E E D AY 15
API MONDIA
AN IMPORTANT MEETING PL ACE
Asger Søgaard Jørgensen
information between practical
beekeepers and scientists. In or-
der to give the beekeepers access
to the best scientific advice and
to bring the experiences and pro-
blems faced by the beekeepers to
Former President the attention of the scientists.
These objectives are still evident at
of Apimondia the many meetings organised un-
1999 - 2009 der the umbrella of Apimondia.
The biannual congresses with
thousands of participants are uni-
que compared with the other
Now: scientific congresses, as the parti-
Voluntary assistant This year Apimondia celebrates its
121 years of existence.
cipants represent all aspects of the
sector from small scale beekeepers
to the management Many changes have happened since to large scale producers, the bee
the first International Apicultural breeders, the honey traders, the
Congress was held in 1897 in Brus- manufactures of equipment and
Read more about sels in Belgium. But the vision of the
organisation as been unchanged.
the scientists. Lots of information
is shared, lots of discussions and
the organisation on • To bring everybody involved in lots of friendships across borders
apiculture together irrespective of are established.
the website: nationality, race, religion, politi- In the years between the congresses,
www.apimondia.com cal standpoint or other issues that
so easy create borders between
an increasing number of specialist
symposia and conferences are mainly
people. joined by scientists and advisors.
• To facilitate the exchange of During the last decades the impor-
Apimondia16 T EOSRTLADT IBNEAE D A Y
W
Through Apimondia beekeepers make friends worldwide. Here a group of Danish beekeepers visiting beekeepers in Argentina.
tance of Apimondia as an interna- blems caused by the neonicotinoid Day” by the United Nations is ano-
tional Non Governmental Organi- pesticides. A problem that was ther example on how the actions
zation has increased. strongly raised by practical beekee- taken by a member organisation
Recently the importance of Api- pers, who experienced massive los- “The Slovenian Beekeepers’ Asso-
mondia has been shown in the ac- ses of bees. ciation” with the support of Api-
tions taken to investigate the pro- The declaration of the “World Bee mondia is fulfilled with success.
Important to notice is that it is not
just an international honeybee day.
But it is a day for all bees that con-
tributes to the pollination of plants.
Just now problems with adulterated
honey in the market represent an
important issue that needs the clo-
se cooperation between beekeepers
and scientists. Scientific studies are
needed to find ways to unravel the
falsifications and the lobbying on
the authorities from the beekeepers
to take action in order to be able to
guarantee the quality of the product
from apiculture.
Honey and other products from
apiculture are important commo-
dities and remedies as food supple-
ments. But even more important is
the value of bees as pollinators of
agricultural and horticultural crops
worldwide.
At the Apimondia symposium in Hanoi, Vietnam, Asger Søgaard Jørgensen
the representative of FAO, Mr. HZ Lea, visited a bee yard with Apis cerana. Former President of Apimondia
Apimondia© Nicola Bradbear 2018
W O R L D B E E D AY 19
AFRICA
ARISING
David Mukomana
Africa is one of the continents full clude bee diseases, harsh weather
of hope, potential and massive op- conditions, excessive use of agro-
portunities in Beekeeping that the chemicals and rapid industrializa-
world can take note of. Blessed tion that is taking away the natural
with its natural forests, vast tracks habitat for the bees. Yet African bee
of land, good bee-friendly all year- colonies are increasing. The organic
The African round weather conditions and na- increase of bee colonies in Africa
Regional tural bees make Africa the place to has seen it maintain the quality of
get bee products that are of high honey that is pure and natural, free
Commission quality. of traces of excessive antibiotics and
With the increased awareness of agro-chemicals.
has been invited the potential in beekeeping, many Governments throughout the re-
to attend the communities in Africa have em- gion have realized the potential in
braced initiatives governments and bees as a mitigation measures for:
International Development Partners have embar- 1. Poverty Eradication.
ked on to uplift the lives of many 2. Environmental Conservation.
Meetings of Young people in rural Africa. It is with 3. Food security.
Beekeepers with these positive developments that 4. Rural development.
a number of African countries are As such, greater attention is now
the intention of dis- recording higher increases of honey given to beekeeping and the honey
and bees wax exports, contributing sector resulting in a number of edu-
cussing and coming significantly to foreign currency cational campaigns and channeling
up with ways of earnings to their economies. Of of resources towards funding beeke-
note is Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania eping projects. Countries such as
generating interest in and Zambia. Nigeria have identified Apiculture
There are many challenges other as the economic driver. Tanzania
beekeeping among regions are facing that has seen a has institutions within the Mi-
the African youths. decline in bee colonies. These in- nistry of Forestry that deals with
Apimondia20 T EOSRTLADT IBNEAE D A Y
W
Picture of community including Traditional Leaders, School Heads, Ministry of Education officials and School children who attended
a recent Beekeeping Meeting at Muzokomba Government High School - Zimbabwe where the Regional President for Africa
addressed them on the need to start beekeeping at schools in line with the New Education Curriculum in Zimbabwe.
beekeeping. Ethiopia is another sults in the host countries. Uganda, 2014; the second one planned for
example. Botswana has a Beekee- Zambia, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and December 2018 in Addis Ababa -
ping Division within the Ministry Rwanda have hosted the previous Ethiopia. A lot of work has already
of Agriculture. South Africa is the Api-Expos and the results are evi- begun and plans are at an advanced
same with a special section within dent, resulting in a rush by a num- stage to see this symposium record
the Department of Agriculture, Fo- ber of countries seeking to host the a success under the theme “The
restry and Fisheries. next Expositions. Role of Bees in Food Production”.
The surge in global demand for na- Nigeria is hosting the Api-Expo Seeing the results of the past sym-
tural honey and bees wax has seen 2018 in the month of September posium and the extent of the be-
many African beekeepers see the 2018 where the attendance is ex- nefits other regions are getting
potential to grow their activities pected to bit the previous largest from having a number of sympo-
organically. The African bee colo- gathering of 3,000 delegates in sia regularly, the African Regional
nies are increasing and the demand Ethiopia in 2012. Commission has plans to have the
for African honey and bees wax are ApiTrade Africa is also making in- region host at least one symposium
surging. roads in terms of marketing Afri- every year so the rate at which Api-
can beekeeping and honey industry culture information is disseminated
To complement the efforts of Afri- through the African Honey Maga- covering all the seven Apimondia
can governments, there are a num- zine (AHM) that is published quar- Scientific Commissions is doubled.
ber of Not-for Profit organizations terly. This publication provides a
that have added their weight to platform for stakeholders to share The excitement in Africa about
the development and commercia- their experiences across the Apicul- beekeeping can be rightly measured
lization of beekeeping in Africa. ture sector and is widely circulated by the sharp increase in the number
ApiTrade Africa is one such orga- electronically and hard copies. of enquiries from African Countri-
nizations that is doing immense Africa has been slow in terms of es on the possibility of hosting Api-
work in marketing and connecting holding Apimondia events: with an mondia Congress in the near futu-
African honey regionally and inter- international congress held in 2001 re. Governments and Stakeholders
nationally. A number of Api-Expos in South Africa and one sympo- alike have been making efforts to
have been held with massive re- sium held in Tanzania in November establish how they can host Api-
ApimondiaW O R LTDE S
BTEA
ETD
INAY
A 21
mondia events so as to boost their
Apiculture sectors. This shows the
effectiveness of the marketing and
publicity various stakeholders are
making about the benefits of beeke-
eping to the environment and the
economies.
The African Regional Commis-
sion has been invited to attend
the International Meetings of
Young Beekeepers with the inten-
tion of discussing and coming up
with ways of generating interest
in beekeeping among the African
youths. As such a number of Afri-
can countries have been invited to
attend the France meeting in July,
a strategy the African Regional
Commission takes seriously. So
much so the commission would
like to see the participation of
David Mukomana - Apimondia Regional Commission for Africa President (left) African countries rise from just th-
and Mr T. Mutomba from Ministry of Education - Zimbabwe (right) with ree to at least 15 by 2021.
Munyaradzi Benzi (middle), one of the pupils selected to attend
International Meeting of Young Beekeepers (July 2018) in France. Africa is excited about the World
Bee Day. This day will bring more
awareness of the importance of the
bee and especially the African Bee
that needs to be protected and pre-
served given the massive advantages
attached to it. Celebrating the 20th
of May each year will see a massi-
ve boost in Apiculture activities as
well as a stop to the decline in natu-
ral forests in Africa when commu-
nities realize the potential they have
to earn a living from these forests
and the bees.
David Mukomana
President
Mr Mathew Chigere - Apiculture Specialist responding Regional Commission
to questions on bee pests and diseases in Zimbabwe for Africa
ApimondiaW O R LTDE S
BTEA
ETD
INAY
A 23
ISSUE S OF C ONCERN FOR BEEKEEPERS
IN THE AMERICAS
Misael Cuevas Bravo
Among the issues of relevant con- mies and has very negative effects
cern of continental beekeeping is on the biodiversity of the territori-
the growing vulnerability to which es. Beekeepers are affected by pro-
our bees and pollinators in gene- ductive spaces because monocultu-
ral are exposed; mortality rates of res are a green desert for bees and
hives in the apiaries have increa- pollinators in general. Bees do not
sed, mainly associated with causes find the diversity of nutritional ele-
linked to the indiscriminate use ments for their maintenance, deve-
The experience of pesticides, the lack of nutrition lopment and defense.
due to large areas of monoculture, As organised beekeepers we have
gained in sanitary the presence of parasites mainly carried out diverse actions of public
pilots highlights varroa, among other causes. From visibility, informing the citizens
the regional perspective, the fol- and authorities of our concern in
the need to promote lowing points of concern can be this matter.
and encourage considered.
monitoring and 1. REDUCTION 2. MORE COMPLEX
coordinated OF PRODUCTIVE SPACES ENVIRONMENTS
Bearing in mind the role assigned FOR PRODUCTION
treatments to Latin America in the global con- The current development model
among beekeepers text associated with the production and monocultures in particular
of raw materials and food for the are characterised by the intensive
world, in rural areas the presence use of pesticides and chemical pro-
of large extensions of monocultures ducts. The trend in Latin America
managed mainly by multinational is to increase the use of agrochemi-
corporations has intensified, which cals with low regulations and over-
directly impacts on the local econo- sight for their import and applica-
Apimondia24 T EOSRTLADT IBNEAE D A Y
W
tion, the above not only affects the the Chilean National Beekeeping the test pilots consider four main
bees and pollinators but also leaves Federation FG, which accounts stages.
its footprint on the deterioration of for the test pilots to implement a
the environment affecting the he- health management plan for bees, The collection of information
alth of the land and waters. Biodi- whose results show considerable considered a first zonal census to
versity is lost and risks in the qua- low levels of parasitic infestation incorporate all the beekeepers of
lity of products and the health of using a methodology of territorial the territory to the pilot, as well as
people are increasing. Beekeeping coordination of beekeepers among incorporating its georeference to
organisations from various countri- other methods that are described recognise the type of interaction
es in the region have held public below. between the apiaries detected and
events to protest against this issue. the reinfestation risk that is presen-
For beekeepers linked to the Chi- ted by the pilot.
lean Federation the fight against
3. INCREASE the varroa parasite has been one
IN PRODUCTION COSTS of the growing concerns because
The concern and action to support it is fought individually, with low
the care of the bees and the eco- coordination among beekeepers in
nomic activity derived from them the environment, where their bees
means that plans for nutrition, he- interact, generating a high percen-
alth and care of the bees are imple- tage of reinfestation among the
mented with high intensity. In the apiaries of a territory, which has
same way it is necessary to imple- meant an increase in the number of
ment safety management plans for treatments, decrease in production,
the bees. the products and mecha- weakening of bees and increase in
nisms for risk management. All of winter mortality levels.
the above entails a sharp increase
in production costs which puts the The proposal to combat the levels
profitability of the beekeeping busi-
of infestation of this parasite in bees
ness at risk, especially for the small The georeferencing of the apiaries
is articulated in five pilots (trials) in
producers who are the majority of of one of the pilots.
four regions of Chile, and seeks to
apicultural producers in the region.incorporate the idea that “varroa is
a common enemy” that must be The second step involved the trai-
4. EXPERIENCE IN attacked jointly since individual ning and strengthening of knowled-
HEALTH MANAGEMENT actions do not have an efficient or ge related to sanitary aspects (the-
Based on the above, we want to sha- prolonged effect over time. In this oretical and practical), where the
re an experience implemented by way the main steps to implement double-coil sieve is made for var-
ApimondiaW O R LTDE S
BTEA
ETD
INAY
A 25
roa counting (Source: http://teca. beekeepers who will continue to the cost of treatments performed by
fao.org/es/read8663). In this way monitor and follow-up on varroa beekeepers in their apiaries, genera-
the same beekeeper can perform levels, thus generating a proposal ting a decrease in winter mortalities
the sampling of his/her apiaries. In for a national health plan ensuing caused by this parasite.
addition, a person is designated to from the concerns and actual con-
collect the data of the samplings (a textual situation of different beeke- The associative action carried out
beekeeper or technician) periodi- epers and their territories, with the by the beekeepers is a generator of
cally. next steps being the creation of positive productive impacts that
apicultural sanitary defence com- also strengthens the organisations
mittees. that participate in the pilots becau-
se it enhances the actions with the
identity of the intervening territory.
Misael Cuevas Bravo
President
Regional Commission
for the Americas
The beekeepers together with the
technicians of each pilot were re-
viewing the levels of varroa and
evolution of the beehives in order to
be able to have at disposal - perio-
dically and systematically - objecti-
ve and meaningful information of
that territory in the following years.
With the experience gained in sani-
tary pilots, it emerges quite eviden-
tly the need to promote and encou-
rage monitoring and coordinated
treatments among beekeepers, as
these reduce the levels of varroa
Pilots have generated forms of mo- infestation more efficiently, in ad-
nitoring led by technicians and dition to generating a reduction in
Apimondia26 T EOSRTLADT IBNEAE D A Y
W
ApimondiaW O R LTDE S
BTEA
ETD
INAY
A 27
ApimondiaW O R L D B E E D AY 29
ASI A I S A
HAVEN FOR BEE S
Cleofas R. Cervancia
The Asian region, being in the tro- pollinator services in forest ecosy-
pics is high in pollinator diversity. stems and are sources of liveliho-
Its rich vegetation and mild climate od opportunities derived from
supports the population of polli- honey and beeswax. Apis laborio-
nators. Solitary and social bees are sa, the Himalayan giant bee is the
among the important pollinator largest bee species.
species. Other insect pollinators Koeniger et al. (2010) described
The Asian region, are butterfly, moth, beetle and fly. the bees of Borneo and advoca-
Birds and mammals pollinate big- ted for sustainable beekeeping
being in the tropics ger flowers, However, honey bees with indigenous bees. The cavity-
are the most widely studied species nesting honeybee Apis nuluensis
is high in pollinator of pollinators. Of the 12 species of inhabits only the highlands of
diversity. honeybees, 11 are native to Asia, Mount Kinabalu of Sabah, Bor-
namely: dwarf honey bees (Apis an- neo Island.
Its rich vegetation dreniformis and Apis florea), giant A promising species for crop pol-
honey bees (Apis dorsata, Apis la- lination and production of valua-
and mild climate boriosa, Apis dorsata binghami and ble products such as honey, pollen
supports the popu- Apis breviligula) and cave nesting and propolis is represented by the
honey bees (Apis koschevnikovi, stingless bees. In the Philippines,
lation of pollinators. Apis cerana, Apis nigrocincta, Apis Malaysia and Thailand stingless
nuluensis and Apis indica). The Eu- bees are being used for large sca-
Solitary and social ropean honey bee Apis mellifera is le orchard pollination especially
bees are among not native to Asia. Most pollination mango, rambutan and lanzones.
studies were focused on high value The following technologies have
the important agricultural and plantation crops. been developed and adopted
The giant bees, Apis dorsata, A. (www.teca.fao.org): propagation
pollinator species breviligula, A. dorsata binghami of stingless bees using coconut
and A. laboriosa are providing shells, harvesting of honey, pollen
Apimondia30 T EOSRTLADT IBNEAE D A Y
W
Stingless bee beekeeper.
and propolis from stingless bees mellifera. This shows that they bees are more diverse than honey
and utilisation of stingless bees are truly polylectic with 69 fa- bees, consisting of 50 genera and
for pollination. Based on pollen milies and 179 genera of plants around 600 species, with about
analysis, stingless bees visit more recorded as hosts in the Indo- 80 species in Southeast Asia and
wild and economic plants than Malayan/Australasian region (Ra- 11 in Australia (Heard, 2016).
honey bees, Apis cerana and Apis smussen, 2008). Further, stingless In Asia, the most significant thre-
ats to local honey bee populations
are deforestation, excessive hun-
ting pressure, loss of nest sites,
parasites and pathogens, clima-
te change, forest fire, pesticides,
street lighting, anthropogenic
movement, tourism and competi-
tion with introduced Apis melli-
fera (Oldroyd and Nanork, 2009).
The introduction of A. mellifera
negatively impacted the popu-
lation of local bees (He and Liu,
2011).
Yang (2005) reported a reduction
of the population of A. cerana by
more than 75%. While pollinator
diversity is still high in China,
Giant bee, Apis breviligula, foraging on Mimosa pudica.
Teichroew et al. (2016) identified
ApimondiaW O R LTDE S
BTEA
ETD
INAY
A 31
Apis breviligula.
the same threats to diversity that
are now observed globally.
However, despite the importan-
ce of pollinators to agriculture,
scientific data regarding the polli-
nators in the region, including na-
tive bee species have been limited
and were generated using widely
varying methods. It is necessary
to develop a harmonised method
to survey the state of pollinators
in the region (on a country by
REFERENCES
country basis), their relative den-
sity and relative abundance and
He X., Liu X.Y. 2011. Factors of Apis cerana decline in China. Apicult. China. 62: 21-23.
health. The initiative would seek Heard T. 2016. The Australian Native Bee Book. Keeping stingless bee hives for pets, pollina-
to identify the most vulnerable tion and sugarbag honey. West End, Queensland: Sugarbag Bees. 246 p.
scenarios, determine causes and Koeninger N., Koeninger G., Tingek S. 2010. Honey bees of Borneo: Exploring the Centre of
provide mitigation methods in Apis Diversity. Natural History Publication (Borneo) Kota Kinabalu. xix+[i]+262 pp.
Oldroyd B.P., Nanork P. 2009. Conservation of Asian honey bees. Apidology 40(3): 296-312
order to protect the pollinators.
Oldroyd B.P., Wongsiri S. 2006. Asian Honey Bees: Biology, Conservation and Human Interactions,
Harvard University Press, ISBN 0-674-02194-0, Massachusetts, USA.
Cleofas R. Cervancia Rasmussen C. 2008. Catalog of the Indo-Malayan/Australasian stingless bees (Hymenoptera:
President Apidae: Meliponini. (Zootaxa 1935@2008 Magnolia Press. 80 pp. (ISBN: 978-1-8677-295-6).
Regional Commission Teichroew J.L., Xu J., Ahrends A., Huang Z.Y., Tan K., Xie Z. 2016. Is China’s unparalleled and
for Asia understudied bee diversity at risk? Biological Conservation. Elsevier Ltd. (in press).
ApimondiaW O R L D B E E D AY 33
EUROPE:
THE STATE-OF-THE-ART AMIDST
THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIE S
Diego Pagani
The establishment of the World Bee agents responsible for the collapse
Day is an important tribute to the of the colonies were identified in
insect that allows the life of the hu- three active neonicotinoid princi-
man species on earth through the ples that acted on the bees’ orienta-
tireless and continuous work of pol- tion system preventing their return
I think that today the lination that maintains and promo- to the hive; the beekeepers were ab-
beekeeping sector tes the spread and maintenance of
biodiversity. Biodiversity is nothing
solutely clueless being confronted
with such unprecedented problem
is confronted with more than the immune system of without understanding why the
our planet and therefore it is fun- bees were disappearing at such high
some major problems, damental that one day of the year is rate. When it did not perish the
but at the same time dedicated to dialogue, promotion,
discussion on problems and oppor-
colony was so weakened that the
other pathologies that were nor-
it can still offer even tunities concerning this small insect mally treated could easily take over,
and those who take care of it. so more causes contributed to the
more opportunities In the last ten years bees and beeke- suppression of the family.
and satisfactions, epers have faced very difficult chal-
lenges; in 2008 in Europe there was
Some years have gone by and great
progress has been made; the Euro-
the technical level a substantial loss of hives mainly pean Parliament has temporarily
due to the lethal effects of neuro- suspended the three active princi-
of European bee- toxic molecules used in agricul- ples, working in close collaboration
keepers is very high tural pesticides, the mobilization
of beekeepers and the consequent
with institutions, research and as-
sociations, there have been techni-
and also as regards media resonance have led to incre- cal fora for dialogue on these issues
ased awareness of the problem of and, even if what we achieved to-
the fight against bees and better understanding of day is a drop in the sea, surely now
diseases… how fragile is the balance on which
our ecosystem is based. The main
there is a clear perception of the
extent of the problem.
Apimondia34 T EOSRTLADT IBNEAE D A Y
W
The media overexposure that the sec-
tor has received in the darkest years
continues today, as if our world had
been rediscovered with all that wealth
of magic and mystery that it carries
inside and that puts that glimpse of
enthusiasm and madness in the eyes
of beekeepers when they talk about
their work, this has led many young
people, in a period of economic dif- been quite critical on the produc- the world’s largest importer and
ficulty, to approach apiculture ensu- tion front (Spain, Italy, France consumer of honey, would allow a
ring a generational change essential being the most penalized nations); massive entry into its market of a
for maintaining the health of the sec- this situation was largely due to the large quantity of products (mainly
tor. Reduced initial investment com- repercussions from climate changes from Asia), with several confirmed
pared to other sectors of agriculture, that are increasingly influencing cases of adulteration. Honey is the
combined with the unique stimuli of and affecting honeyflows and mar- third most counterfeited product
this unknown world, have brought kets. If on one hand consumers’ in the world (C. Brusset), and a pla-
new energy to the surface and it is choices keep the sector active, by gue for an entire sector, in Serbia it
estimated that in the last five years evolving product requests with new is estimated that about 70% of ho-
the number of beekeepers and hives specifications thus giving operators ney sold in organised distribution
has increased by 20%. the opportunity to work on new is the result of adulteration and
Certainly an important economic markets, also enhancing the other beekeepers in an attempt to try to
opportunity combined with a market products of the hive: pollen, pro- stem this drift have drafted a very
that grows transversely with respect polis, royal jelly, supplements ba- strict set of specifications and intro-
to the past, today honey has eman- sed on bee products, etc., on the duced a customised jar that is sup-
cipated itself from the image that has other hand production difficulties plied to those beekeeper retailers
distinguished it for years when it was are becoming an increasingly heavy undergoing quality and traceability
perceived as the natural remedy for burden on producers’ shoulders. controls, so that the consumer can
seasonal ailments, we find it as an in- Honey shortages mainly had two immediately recognize a honey that
gredient used by top chefs, offer on effects: comes from a virtuous and certified
the market is vast and through this • beekeepers have progressively path.
they have been able to propose dif- increased the number of their I think that today the beekeeping
ferent monofloral honeys each with production units to maintain a sector is confronted with some ma-
its own peculiarities and suitable for level of profitability that would jor problems, but at the same time
a specific use, the research carried out allow them to retain the econo- it can still offer even more oppor-
in recent years not only tells us that mic sustainability of their com- tunities and satisfactions, the tech-
it is the healthiest sweetener, but also pany; nical level of European beekeepers
for example that taken daily has a re- • the unavailability of honey as a is very high and also as regards the
medial effect to the modifications of commodity has encouraged an fight against diseases (with varroa-
the DNA caused by direct exposure increase in average market prices. sis in the first place), in recent years
to pesticides (R. Alleva). This, in particular, has meant that very effective biotechnical practices
The last four years in Europe have the European continent, which is have been put in place and the re-
ApimondiaW O R LTDE S
BTEA
ETD
INAY
A 35
gistration of preparations based on epers in the area and the climate other useful insects and amphi-
organic acids and new products that apparently does not favour bians, have already heavily polluted
with synthetic active ingredients its rapid development and spread. surface waters in many countries.
are definitely helping contrast stra- Periodically we hear about Aethina In many cases, non-nectariferous
tegies. A rather critical situation in tumida findings in several countries cultivars or with very short flowe-
this respect is currently being expe- (Switzerland, France), but to date ring periods are preferred, reducing
rienced in Spain and is bound to no case has been confirmed and I more and more the pastures that
improve the status of their farms believe that for the time being they can be usefully foraged by the bees.
only through a thorough revision can be filed as fake news. This is according to an agricultural
the “disease control strategy” in the The crucial request that, as Api- model of US derivation, where in
light of an organic approach and in mondia, we should ask the po- the 1920s they had 9 mln of hives
the context of integrated control. licy-makers in favour of European that were reduced today to about 2
Italy is today the only European beekeepers would be to take some mln, and where the average lifespan
country in which the small beehi- steps to rethink the current agricul- of a queen bee has been recorded as
ve beetle Aethina tumida is present, tural model, a model that today does less than six months instead of the
and at the moment it has managed not take into account the future, standard five years.
to keep it confined within the Ca- the next generations, based as it is Diego Pagani
labria region through the strategies on monocultural extensions heavily President
implemented by the Ministry of dependent on the use of chemicals Regional Commission
Health, the associations of beeke- that in addition to poisoning bees, for Europe
ApimondiaW O R LTDE S
BTEA
ETD
INAY
A 37
OCEANIA
REGIONAL INFORMATION
AUSTRA LIA & NE W ZEAL AND
Jodie Goldsworthy and Maureen Maxwell
Apimondia is the link that brings glo- epers are keen to make good from
bal apiculture science to the Oceania the growing consumer trend that
region. Highly specialized and pro- sees people wanting to know more
fessional beekeepers from Australia about where their food is produced.
and New Zealand forge global con- Australian beekeepers are saddened
nections with international scientists by Australia’s vast and diverse ho-
Bees are kept from the world over through links ney collection being known simply
primarily for honey. made at Apimondia congresses and as “Eucalypt” honey globally and
via the Apimondia global network. niche honey exporters are begin-
Most honey would For a developing apicultural country ning to showcase a broader range
such as Fiji Apimondia offers a uni- of Australian honeys.
qualify que opportunity to learn from other
as ‘organic’ countries that are more mature from Australian beekeepers are the lu-
a beekeeping perspective. Apimon- ckiest in the world because they
by the Pacific dia makes the world a smaller place keep bees without varroa. They
and the Oceania region is grateful are highly professional with strong
Organic Standard, for the Apimondia network in hel- traceability of their products pro-
but not ping it to meet challenges and grow viding the ability through good re-
opportunities. cord keeping to differentiate many
typically marketed varietal honeys and geographic pro-
AUSTRALIA duction areas. Australia has recently
as organic. Australia is richly endowed with adopted a voluntary National Bee
Wax is commonly over 780 species of eucalypts, an- Biosecurity Code of Practice which
gophora or myrtaceae trees indi- incorporates mandatory ongoing
a secondary genous only to Australia. Many of pest and disease training for com-
Australia’s unique honeys are relati- mercial beekeepers and compliance
product. vely undiscovered by the rest of the with the code is required to allow
world and many Australian beeke- registration as a beekeeper.
Apimondia38 T EOSRTLADT IBNEAE D A Y
W
Much of Australia’s pollination agricultural production relies on mum honeys is demonstrating im-
of clean green food crops is cur- honey bee pollination. pressive activity levels across many
rently done through incidental Leptospermum species in Austra-
pollination by wild European Australia’s unique position in the lia and offering the opportuni-
honeybees that have established bee world makes it the only count- ty for Australia to create its own
within the environment and only ry in the world able to produce unique set of active and highly
high value horticultural crop gro- chemical free beeswax because of sought after honeys that would be
wers (almonds, apples, blueberri- the absence of chemical use to even more varied than the active
es, kiwi fruits, seed growers, etc.) control bee pests or diseases. The honeys originating in New Zea-
pay commercial beekeepers to rest of the world is now well aware land. Australia is well positioned
bring their bees for pollination. of this fact making Australian be- to complement the New Zealand
Informing agriculture of the im- eswax highly sought after. offer with a broader range of hi-
portant role bees play is a task ghly sought after honeys.
actively undertaken by Australian The production of highly active
beekeepers who need the sup- honeys from Australia’s vast Lep- Lobbying efforts of the Australian
port of farmers to convince go- tospermum plants is just in its in- beekeeping industry are paying off
vernments that more can be done fancy stages. Australia has over 80 with the Australian Government
to protect our environment from cousins of the well-known Ma- also recently opting to increase
exotic bee pests that also threaten nuka (Leptospermum scoparium) their budget for increased covera-
agriculture and food production. which has been made famous by ge of ports for the surveillance for
Australian research has shown our New Zealand cousins. Recent varroa. Australia operates a senti-
that around 65% of Australia’s research on Australian Leptosper- nel hive programme where moni-
ApimondiaW O R L D B E E D AY 39
toring for varroa is jointly mana- Australia’s healthy bee populations growth despite poor harvest condi-
ged by Government and industry. are likely to feature more heavily tions in the last year. Fires, floods,
The programme also includes a in the future in global bee rese- earthquakes and inclement weather
catch box system, floral sweeping arch. Australia may be a long way working against the bees and their
and now with the addition of the from the rest of the world but if we keepers.
Bee Biosecurity Programme sur- are all to manage global threats to
veillance for varroa by all registe- bees and beekeeping we must all New Zealand produces some of
red beekeepers. work together to make the world a the finest honey in the world with
smaller place to bring together the many unique floral sources due
The interest in combined polli- brightest minds and most innova- to our island status including our
nation and honey production has tive thinkers to collectively find manuka with its famous medicinal
been the impetus for the planning solutions to challenges that impact properties. Our strict no antibio-
by the Australian Honey Bee In- every single beekeeper the world tic law ensures we also have some
dustry Council for the Third Au- over. The regions of the world that of the purest honey globally. With
stralian Bee Congress specially make up Apimondia will act more vast expanses of untamed forests
themed “Pollination & Beekee- importantly in the future to form and unpolluted pastures, condi-
ping for the Future Symposium” the glue that holds all beekeepers tions for excellent honey prevail.
to be held at the Royal Pines on together and sees us learn from ex-
the Gold Coast, Queensland from perience in lands far removed. The increased global awareness of
Wednesday 27th June to Saturday the unique medicinal properties
30th June 2018. The symposium NEW ZEALAND of New Zealand manuka honey
has been officially endorsed as an The New Zealand apiculture indu- has led to substantial investment
Apimondia Symposium. stry is in a period of unprecedented in the sector. Government rese-
Apimondia40 T EOSRTLADT IBNEAE D A Y
W
arch, plantings of specific strains, blueberries. Covered crops are be- beekeepers in Fiji. Mostly small-
improved infrastructure in proces- coming more popular but less fa- scale, with approximately 20
sing and medicinal grade honey vorable with beekeepers that want beekeepers with 100+ hives. Al-
handling. Many new beekeepers to preserve bee strength for honey most all are keeping bees for fi-
are being trained and government production, so pollination prices nancial gain - almost no ‘hobby’
research scientists and laboratories are rapidly increasing. beekeepers. Field work is under-
are investing considerable resources taken 80% by men and 20% by
to identify unique factors to New Hive theft and hive vandalism is women. Post-harvesting work is
Zealand manuka and other honeys a growing issue due to the high undertaken 50% by men and 50%
to fight adulteration and fraudu- value of hives and colony income by women.
lent honey practices. International potential. Tension over honey pro-
plantings of manuka plantations duction sites has in some cases led There are between 10,000 and
are on the rise in efforts to emulate to hive vandalism. Beekeepers are 13,000 hives in Fiji which are al-
this crop. increasingly experimenting with most exclusively Langstroth hives.
cameras and tracking technology to All deep or full depth hive bodies -
The trend has been of increased protect hives. no shallow supers. There are a few
hive numbers and increased honey top-bar hives. Fiji is producing
production, therefore yields and re- The giant willow aphid has taken most boxes, covers and bottoms,
turns have tripled in the past five hold with devastating effects on but still importing 50-60% of fra-
years. Main issues facing the indu- both honey production and bee sur- mes and 90% of wax foundation
stry are ongoing concerns about vival on many traditional sites. The from overseas (mostly from China
bee health, competition for apiary abundance of willow honeydew has and New Zealand).
sites and maintaining the confiden- increased wasp numbers alarmin-
ce of the overseas consumers and gly. A Government Sustainable Far- Bees in Fiji are a cross-bred betwe-
regulators in the integrity of New ming Fund is supporting research en the ‘black bee’ of northwest Eu-
Zealand manuka honey. as to how best to combat this new rope and the Italian. It is estimated
problem. that maybe 50% are Italian gene-
Corporate and Iwi (Maori) in- tics at this point. Until thirty five
vestment in beekeeping enterpri- Beekeepers are reporting increased years ago, most genetics were from
ses via acquisitions, joint ventures expenditure and time commit- the black bee - very defensive, and
and internal growth continues to ments associated with implemen- bees moved quickly on the comb.
drive much of the increase in hive ting the Health and Safety at Work Importation of Italian bees in the
numbers. There is a trend for larger Act, 2015. There has been increa- 1980s and 90s improved the gene-
family businesses to secure honey sing investment in machinery and tics. There has been no import of
supply by buying land in particular other tools to reduce heavy lifting bees into Fiji since New Zealand
land with manuka. and smaller supers are in many found varroa mites in 2001. We
cases being employed to reduce have a permit to import queens
Other revenue sources are repre- weights along with purchasing of from Western Australia, but to
sented by demand for pollination cranes and lifters. date none have been imported.
with ongoing expansion in horti-
culture sectors including kiwi fruit, FIJI Fiji has American Foulbrood
pip fruit, avocados, stone fruit and There are between 800 and 1,000 (AFB), but no European Foulbro-
ApimondiaYou can also read
