New campaign to save British honey bee

Paul Eccleston, The Telegraph 8 Apr 08;

The Government has launched a new campaign to ensure the survival of the native British honey bee.

The farming minister, Lord Rooker, has already admitted that he fears the bee will be gone within 10 years.

Disease has already killed off wild bees from many parts of the country and there are fears that colonies maintained by an army of amateur keepers will suffer the same fate.

Angry beekeepers have accused the Government of not spending enough on research into the killer diseases.

They claim spending cuts have resulted in the loss of what were once world-class research establishments into bee health.

As a result colonies were now at risk of being overwhelmed by diseases and invasive species which have decimated bee colonies in the United States and parts of southern Europe.

The new consultation aimed at protecting bees was announced by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

It admitted honey bees face a growing number of threats from pests and diseases including varroa mite, parasitic brood mite and invasive species such as the Asian hornet which preys on honey bee colonies.

The new strategy focuses on more effective biosecurity and better husbandry by beekeepers but ministers have made clear no extra money is on offer.

The British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) which has 11,000 members, said the new initiative was welcome but would fail unless it was underpinned by better funding.

Chairman Martin Smith said: " Wild bees can no longer survive because of the varroa mite. They might cling on for a year or so but they eventually succumb. I personally doubt whether the honey bee will disappear completely but we could end up with vastly reduced numbers.

"In Britain we are hobby beekeepers and should they stop caring and looking after them, the honey bee will disappear.

"Bees more than earn their keep through pollinating crops and it should not be beyond Defra to find a relatively small amount of money to spend on investigating what is happening to bees and to find ways of minimising losses.

"There is a budget for the National Bee Unit and for inspections but only about £200,000 is left for research. We had establishments that led the world on bee diseases but they were allowed to wither on the vine and now we need them more than ever."

The loss of the honey bee would be devastating for farmers because they pollinate fruit crops and are estimated to be worth £1bn per year to the economy.

The main threat is posed by the varroa infestation which arrived in Britain about 15 years ago. The number of bee colonies being lost to varroa have been steadily increasing since 2001 due to the mite developing resistance to available treatments.

Beekeepers in the US have also been hit hard by a mystery syndrome called colony collapse disease in which disoriented bees fly out of the hive and don't return. Beekeepers believe it will inevitably spread to Britain in time.

Announcing a four-month consultation on the new strategy Lord Rooker said: "Honey bees are facing serious threats from a growing number of pests and diseases.

"It is vital that we do all we can to respond effectively to these threats and to sustain honey bees and beekeeping for today and for future generations.

"The strategy provides direction and focus for Government, beekeepers and other stakeholders working together over the next decade on sustaining honey bees."

A Defra spokesman claimed that research into bee diseases was still being carried out in a project funded by the Chief Scientist called Biochip which aims to develop a diagnostic tool for detecting viruses from animals, plants, insects and bees.

Although the Rothamsted Research's Bee Unit had been closed there was still substantial knowledge in bee health available in the UK such as at Warwick University's Horticultural Research Institute and at the National Bee Unit (NBU).

On funding the spokesman said: "The emphasis is about identifying priorities for action within existing resources.

"If the consultation identifies clear pressing needs for additional resources this will need to be considered during the subsequent implementation phase against other priorities; this would need to include consideration of the most appropriate sourcing of any funding needed."