B.C. Liberals’ Decision To Lift Bee Quarantine Without Consultation Arrogant, Says NDP
VICTORIA— New Democrats joined the vice-president of the Capital Region Beekeepers Association today to call on the B.C. Liberal government to reverse their secretive decision to lift the rules restricting the import of bees to Vancouver Island.
Lana Popham with Beekeepers Association VP Grant Stringer
“The B.C. Liberals' decision to reverse a 22-year-old policy without consulting beekeepers was reckless and arrogant,” said New Democrat agriculture critic Lana Popham.
“A new quarantine needs to be put in place so that beekeepers and the public have a chance to debate the merits of maintaining the ban before we allow higher-risk bees from the mainland to be imported to the island.”
Beekeepers are concerned that lifting the quarantine will expose their bees to antibiotic-resistant diseases found on the mainland like American and European foulbrood, as well as pests like the greater wax moth and the small hive beetle, which have not infested island hives.
“The B.C. Liberal government blindsided island beekeepers by lifting restrictions on bee imports without consultation or warning – a short-sighted decision that could be catastrophic for agriculture and honey production on the island,” said Popham, the MLA for Saanich South.
Beekeepers are especially concerned because last winter almost 90 per cent of island honeybees died, largely because of the varroa mite, which was introduced to island hives when an individual snuck bees in despite the quarantine, noted Popham.
Carole James and the New Democrats are committed to supporting local agriculture by reinstating Buy B.C. and ensuring all British Columbians have the right to buy food directly from farmers.
