Island could become queen bee exporter – Minister
By Tim Smith
Bermuda could start exporting queen bees as the Ministry of Environment seeks to cash in on the Island's unusually disease-free buzzing population.
Minister Glenn Blakeney explained Bermuda's ideal location in the middle of the ocean has helped its bees stay clear of the natural and man-made threats endangering bees in the US, Canada and Europe.
He told a Throne Speech press conference on Tuesday that a proposed queen bee rearing project would internally raise bee stocks and ban importing queen bees as a precautionary measure.
"This Throne Speech initiative was based on the very real possibility that as a relatively pest- and disease-free zone our very well managed bee population could potentially be a source of queen bees for export," Mr. Blakeney told the media.
"Honey bee populations in the US, Canada and Europe are in grave danger from a broad variety of natural and human-made threats.
"These threats are resulting in significant and alarming declines in the bee populations. The global food system depends on bees not only for honey production but also most significantly for the pollination of crops. Honey bees are a vital part of our existence.
"Because of a rigorous management programme and our fortunate mid-Atlantic location the Bermuda bee population has remained free for many years from many of the pests and diseases that are contributing to this decline.
"In the past, local beekeepers have imported queen bees from overseas, mainly the big island of Hawaii, where they have been relatively safe from most pests.
"Circumstances have changed in the last few years and several devastating pests are creeping ever closer to Hawaii and other remote locations. As a precaution, the Department of Environmental Protection has placed a ban on all imported queen bees."
He said it has recently been discovered that Bermuda has the varroa mite, a bee specific pest that has been devastating hives across the US.
"This situation actually reinforces the importance of our decision to initiate a Bermuda queen bee rearing project," he said.
"Tackling this disease will be a challenge and will require a multifaceted effort. However it is no longer a mystery disease having made its way into North American hives 20 years ago, and there are effective management and treatment options that we will be helping local bee keepers to implement.
"It is certain that this will require some very serious strategic changes to our beekeeping in Bermuda. However, our beekeepers are exceptionally well researched and trained and we have very strong ties to the top bee research laboratories and universities in the United States. We will be availing ourselves of the best help we can get.
"We will be working with international partners to see how in light of this new development Bermuda's unique geographical position can be fully utilised to help research and develop management strategies and cures for this pest.
"Bermuda is still free from a number of the other ubiquitous bee pests and diseases that are believed to be the other contributing factors to bee colony collapse in North America and Europe."
Mr. Blakeney also pointed to planned improvement of public playgrounds including work already underway at Warwick Long Bay; and a proposed playground at Somerset Long Bay.
