gavin
16-11-2014, 09:21 PM
Yesterday was the day for the Local Association Secretaries (and guests) meeting, then the SBA Council meeting in the afternoon, the one where members get to discuss SBA policy matters. We had a good debate on small hive beetle with many contributions from the floor. At the end of that two possible positions were offered for the SBA to adopt, one that reflects the cautious attitude adopted by the leaders of some beekeeping organisations, and another stronger one. It was the stronger one that had significantly more support:
'The SBA urges that all possible measures are taken to prevent the introduction of small hive beetle into the UK. These should include a cessation of trade in live bees from the rest of Europe for 2015 until the true spread of the pest is better known.'
During the discussion it was acknowledged that there are risks other than the movement of live bees. For this to work there has to effort to bear down on unregistered bee trade, and non-bee potential routes of spread, but for clarity the focus was on the major risk which is that of movement of live bees from areas which could have had contact with the main affected area in S Italy.
'The SBA urges that all possible measures are taken to prevent the introduction of small hive beetle into the UK. These should include a cessation of trade in live bees from the rest of Europe for 2015 until the true spread of the pest is better known.'
During the discussion it was acknowledged that there are risks other than the movement of live bees. For this to work there has to effort to bear down on unregistered bee trade, and non-bee potential routes of spread, but for clarity the focus was on the major risk which is that of movement of live bees from areas which could have had contact with the main affected area in S Italy.