Stronger measures of protection are needed for Beekeeping (2009)

 

 

Stronger measures of protection are needed for Beekeeping (2009)
 Anatoliy Pylypenko

As a consequence of the uncontrolled actions of people, the living conditions of many biological systems have changed a lot on Earth during the last century. Annually, honey bees carefully cover the main part of dry land. Beekeeping scientists and beekeepers are aware that an even more serious threat to beekeeping is imminent.

It has been more than seven thousand years since humanity began to profit from the results of the bee's work for their own interest. Throughout the world the agricultural industry relies on honeybees for one of the most important aspects of nature – crop pollination.

In the middle of the 20 century, a group of United States scientists, under the guidance of Dr. Levin, ascertained this unique fact: the cost of honey and wax, which bees produce during one season, is only 1/143 part of all the value produced by bees simultaneously. Government officials of the United States turned their mind to the serious economic expediency in using bees for pollination of the entomological plants.

Unfortunately, the American experience has not spread to all the continents. Only the USA pays a worthwhile price for pollination. This situation has a simple explanation. The Management Boards of National Associations called in question the USA scientists’ information and as a result payment for pollination remains absolutely inadequate. This is a very serious omission which does harm to agriculture including beekeeping. It is necessary to take into consideration the USA experience of the organization of pollination for entomological plants. A reasonable payment for the work of pollination will improve the economical state of beekeeping.

For the last 50 years the price of honey (the main product of beekeeping) has risen insignificantly but the overall expense of beekeeping has greatly increased. That is why beekeeping is finding itself in a very difficult economical situation and even with the help of mass enthusiasm, the results of a successful solution to this complex task becomes doubtful.

The leadership of any states cares about every kind of activity of its population, but the responsibility for omission always lies with the direct executor. In this case, the Management Board of beekeeping associations, scientists, beekeepers.

Work with bees requires regular and quiet actions from beekeeper. The same atmosphere would transform the beekeeping Management Board. This state satisfies everybody who cares about bees.

But the environment dictates its laws to us. In a given case, beekeeping needs to increase its level of activity. Beekeepers have common interests but a collaboration between Apimondia and National Associations needs substantial improvement, because some National Associations don’t take part actively in the work of Apimondia and beekeepers of such states remain isolated with their problems.

Apimondia has a lot of working experience but ought to perfect it in the coming years. I am sure it is necessary to begin from the Apimondia Statutes. In the first place, there is a need to widen the rights and increase the responsibility of all Management Boards.

In the second, to offer the possibility to all National Associations to do the same work but with the obligatory condition that the Apimondia International Commission must have the right to check the activity of any National Association with the aim of increasing beekeeping culture.

In the case of establishment factors, which can entail the mass ruin of bee colonies and if the spreading of these factors can affect territories of other states, Apimondia Management Board must apply to Government officials of the given state. If the Government officials of the state do not rectify mistakes themselves, the Apimondia Management Board has to apply to United Nationals Organization.

In the event that the source of mass bees ruin is in a state that is not an Apimondia member, Apimondia must establish a report on the fact of the damages, with the help of neighbouring National Associations which apply to help Apimondia.

Such changes entail a considerable increase of administration expenses. The increase of activity of National Associations will give positive results and the problems will have a normal solution. It is known, bees produce so many products that this small contribution would be enough for their full safety.

The Management Board of National Associations needs to pay enough attention to daily care of beekeepers including economical maintenance. The National Associations of beekeepers need find the short way to mass media, so that the population of their states can have the possibility to watch and hear interesting information about bee products and beekeeping for at least 3 to 4 hours a year. Such talks would be not only interesting but very useful.

The scientists in beekeeping must not permit cases of conservatism or groundless delay in the information exchange. The beekeeping profession has already been labelled low skilled but more exactly it has been humiliated undeservedly.

Some states give financial help to beekeepers from the budget but I am sure it would be better to pay them worthy payment for their labour. Unconditionally, in such cases, the young, respecting themselves, will not work in beekeeping.

In part technology is to blame, in searching for ways of job simplification for beekeepers in different manipulations with hive construction. Thereby, the main part of beekeeping knowledge is no longer used and the work becomes uninteresting and less qualified.

In the end, superficial management of bees is a serious cause of mass bees losses.

Some scientists avoid giving objective estimation of unsystematic transference and hybridization. Such experiments require careful preparation and a long period of scientific research. Quick conclusions maybe the cause of mass bee ruin. In the middle of the 20th Century, some of the Soviet Union Scientists advised industrial beekeeping to inculcate the hybrid bees on broad speciousness of European part of state. The mass ruin of bees stopped such beekeeping experiments, after them, the scientists elaborated the plan of race accommodation of bees on all state territory. The negative consequences of the experiment were continue for twenty years.

There are fine conditions for productive exchanges of information, but similar mistakes continue to take place in different countries so far.

These sad examples are our common problem. In such complex situations we need to search for the path of a worthy solution.

On the one hand, the scientists like everybody, have the right to make mistakes. On the other hand, the price of scientists' mistakes is very expensive for beekeeping. Most likely, the scientists will find an optimal solution for the problem in a reasonable time space.

The questions of safeguarding the bee will be considered and analyzed in detail at the 41st Apimondia Congress. May be this small article will be a useful drop in the ocean for beekeeping.

Dear friends, I am sure, our unity is a foundation of our success.
Anatoliy Pylypenko