Australia provides a very useful smokescreen for the pesticide lobbyists because:
a. It's very far away
b. It's very big - 6th largest country in the world -7,690,00 sq km
c. Very few Americans have been there
d. Beekeeping there is largely 'bush-beekeeping' - in wild country
The honeys which are most-valuable from Australia are wild-floral honeys like acacia, manuka, eucalyptus, bush mallee, myrtle, meadow honey and a dozen others. About 90% of Australia's landscape is 'wild' - the great centre of the country is either desert or bush. Relatively little beekeeping is concerned with pollination of arable crops. Many beekeepers, according to Jeffrey Gibb, live solitary lives, ranging through the wild bush, collecting wild honey for sale. So, exposure to neonics is probably only in those areas where wheat, canola are grown and of those only neonic treated canola probably presents a real threat.
So, most of Oz beekeepers have little contact with neonics. The ones who run migratory pollination businesses in arable crop areas, like Warren Jones - are suffering large losses.
From The Buzz About Bees website run by Amanda Williams:
It is often claimed (by the pesticide industry) that Australia's honey bees are healthy despite the fact that neonicotinoids are used there.
The question is raised: “If neonicotinoids kill bees, why aren’t Australian beekeepers losing theirs?” or “Neonicotinoids are used in Australia and they have healthy honey bees”.
So is this true? Is everything hunky-dory for Australia's honey bees?
What do we know about Australian beekeepers and their experience of neonicotinoids, honey bees and beekeeping?
In June 2007 a very revealing document was produce by Mr Warren Jones, President of the Australian Crop Pollinators Association - see right.
Warren Jones explains about his role:
In relation to this issue, of particular interest was this comment:
Page 4
“Where Have All The Bees Gone?”: [/B]
http://www.bfa.com.au/Portals/0/BFAFiles/AUT09-where-have-bees-gone.pdf
In this article, he makes it very clear that he believes neonicotinoids represent a real threat to Australia's honey bees, and comments:
DOWNLOAD ARTICLE HERE: http://pierreterre.com/blog/neonicotinoids-australia-beekeeper-jeffrey-gibbs-bee-dieoffs-related-nicotinoid-pesticides
Jeffrey's article has some interesting quotes too, such as:
In September 2012, this Australian item was published on the net:
"Concern from beekeepers prompts review of some insecticides":
“Anxious apiarists have prompted the nation's chemical regulator to review regulations around insecticides used in the grains, cotton and vegetable industries. The Australian Pesticides and Veterinery Medicines Authority is examing those products which contain neonicotinoids, a relatively new class of chemicals used as seed dressings”.
Find it, by copying and pasting this link into a new web page:
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201209/s3591361.htm
So contrary to the view that Australia’s bees are having no problem with neonicotinoids, there is evidence that suggests otherwise. Seems like yet another argument to defend neonicotinoids that is not based in truth.
CONCLUSION
So let's see if the attack dogs respond to this by
addressing the issues
addressing the facts
engaging in reasoned debate
. . or are we back to personal attacks, harassment, invasion of privacy etc.
I think I can guess in advance what we will see.
a. It's very far away
b. It's very big - 6th largest country in the world -7,690,00 sq km
c. Very few Americans have been there
d. Beekeeping there is largely 'bush-beekeeping' - in wild country
The honeys which are most-valuable from Australia are wild-floral honeys like acacia, manuka, eucalyptus, bush mallee, myrtle, meadow honey and a dozen others. About 90% of Australia's landscape is 'wild' - the great centre of the country is either desert or bush. Relatively little beekeeping is concerned with pollination of arable crops. Many beekeepers, according to Jeffrey Gibb, live solitary lives, ranging through the wild bush, collecting wild honey for sale. So, exposure to neonics is probably only in those areas where wheat, canola are grown and of those only neonic treated canola probably presents a real threat.
So, most of Oz beekeepers have little contact with neonics. The ones who run migratory pollination businesses in arable crop areas, like Warren Jones - are suffering large losses.
From The Buzz About Bees website run by Amanda Williams:
It is often claimed (by the pesticide industry) that Australia's honey bees are healthy despite the fact that neonicotinoids are used there.
The question is raised: “If neonicotinoids kill bees, why aren’t Australian beekeepers losing theirs?” or “Neonicotinoids are used in Australia and they have healthy honey bees”.
So is this true? Is everything hunky-dory for Australia's honey bees?
What do we know about Australian beekeepers and their experience of neonicotinoids, honey bees and beekeeping?
In June 2007 a very revealing document was produce by Mr Warren Jones, President of the Australian Crop Pollinators Association - see right.
Warren Jones explains about his role:
You’ll see from the document that Warren Jones’ beekeeping experience and service to agriculture spans 34 years.
In relation to this issue, of particular interest was this comment:
Page 4
By Autumn 2009, Warren Jones comments to The Australian Organic Producer in his article:
“Where Have All The Bees Gone?”: [/B]
http://www.bfa.com.au/Portals/0/BFAFiles/AUT09-where-have-bees-gone.pdf
In this article, he makes it very clear that he believes neonicotinoids represent a real threat to Australia's honey bees, and comments:
He also points out that- one reason we have heard very little about the impact of neonics in Australia is that there is NO RESEARCH PROGRAMME OR RESEARCH INSTUTE STUDYING THE PROBLEM. Australia does not even have a bee-lab capable of detecting neonics at the ppb level.
Meanwhile, Jeffrey Gibbs, in his article Neonicotinoid Pesticides: To Australian Beekeepers from an Australian Beekeeper[/B], highlights concerns about neonicotinoids and provides some interesting insight into why Australian beekeepers seem to be relatively quiet on this issue – or at least not making a major public fuss.
DOWNLOAD ARTICLE HERE: http://pierreterre.com/blog/neonicotinoids-australia-beekeeper-jeffrey-gibbs-bee-dieoffs-related-nicotinoid-pesticides
Jeffrey's article has some interesting quotes too, such as:
(Jack is referring to the fact that neonicotinoids are highly persistent – i.e. they remain in the soil for years after the first planting. They can then be absorbed by other plants growing in that soil, and because they are systemic pesticides, they permeate the plant as it grows, and the poison may then be presented to bees and other non-target insects, through nectar and pollen, at toxic levels. This effect has been observed in scientific studies, such as Bonmatin et al 2004).
In September 2012, this Australian item was published on the net:
"Concern from beekeepers prompts review of some insecticides":
“Anxious apiarists have prompted the nation's chemical regulator to review regulations around insecticides used in the grains, cotton and vegetable industries. The Australian Pesticides and Veterinery Medicines Authority is examing those products which contain neonicotinoids, a relatively new class of chemicals used as seed dressings”.
Find it, by copying and pasting this link into a new web page:
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201209/s3591361.htm
So contrary to the view that Australia’s bees are having no problem with neonicotinoids, there is evidence that suggests otherwise. Seems like yet another argument to defend neonicotinoids that is not based in truth.
CONCLUSION
So let's see if the attack dogs respond to this by
addressing the issues
addressing the facts
engaging in reasoned debate
. . or are we back to personal attacks, harassment, invasion of privacy etc.
I think I can guess in advance what we will see.