The buzz is on about declining honeybee populations following a public forum on Aug. 28 at the Legion here that attracted some 100 supporters.
Centre Wellington District High School culinary teacher and Slow Food Wellington County organizer Chris Jess organized the public forum to shed light on declining honeybee populations.
“I’m not sure I want to live in an area that can’t sustain the life of a honeybee,” said Jess, prior to the event. “Bees are an indication of environmental health. I want action to resolve this issue as soon as possible.”
Agricultural pesticide use on crops is being blamed for an estimated 35 per cent decline in honey bee populations, according to the Ontario Beekeeper’s Association (OBA).
The OBA recently launched a petition to Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne to ban the use of neonicotinoid pesticides (believed to be a cause of pollinator death), but the group also called for greater community education and awareness so individuals and groups can begin taking action.
Wynne has established a task force – made up of representatives from pharmaceutical companies which produce the pesticides, beekeepers and research bee specialists from the University of Guelph and agricultural representatives- to investigate the matter.
Part of the Elora forum last week included the viewing of The Vanishing of the Bees, a documentary exploring colony collapse disorder around the globe.
“People need to be aware of the situation before they can take action,” said Calantha Elsby, communications coordinator for Slow Food Wellington County. “The film is a great way to introduce the issue; the discussion will provide the community the confidence to take action.”
Jim Coneybeare, a local beekeeper and a member of the provincial task force, was one of the speakers at the Aug. 28 forum.
“It went pretty well,” Coneybeare said. “I was surprised at who came out, there were even some hobbyists who are out of the mainstream …
“One guy said it’s like somebody dropped an atomic bomb on our hives. He’s a hobbyist and he’s not rubbing shoulders with beekeepers (who derive a living from honey).”
Coneybeare, in an earlier interview with the Advertiser, said the insecticide acts like a “neuro toxin” that leaves honeybees unable to find their way back to the hive. A certain sign is when honeybees are unable to fly and are found crawling around a site.
However, provincial farm organizations warn against placing sole blame on pesticides.
“The decline of the bee population is a complex issue,” Henry Van Ankum wrote in a letter to the editor in this week’s Advertiser.
An area farmer and chair of the Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO), Van Ankum said, “Numerous [other] risk factors to bee health have been identified, including varroa mites, poor nutrition/lack of forage, drought, winter-kill, and diseases.”
He added GFO, which is “actively involved” on the government task force, looks forward “to finding solutions that ensure a sustainable future for both the bee populations and grain farming in Ontario.”
Coneybeare, along with OBA and other beekeepers across the province, has been calling for a moratorium on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides.
The European Union (EU) recently introduced a two-year moratorium after concerns were raised about the use of neonicotinoid pesticides and the perceived impact it was having on honeybee populations in several European countries.
The Sierra Club of Canada is also calling for a moratorium. Sierra Club member Judy Martin read a letter critical of the task force formed by the provincial government. The letter claims the group is undemocratic because a majority of its 35-members are from the agro-chemical companies that produce the pesticides.
It’s a view shared by Coneybeare, who feels a decision on what steps will be taken to address the issue won’t reflect concerns of beekeepers.
“Thus far they’re not addressing things in the direction we want to go,” Coneybeare said of the task force that has three beekeepers on it.
“From a chemical company point of view, they’ve got us outnumbered. It’s a set up.”
“With billions of dollars tied up in this they’re going to fight anyway they can,” Coneybeare added of the vested interest the industry brings to the task force.
Honeybee experts from the University of Guelph have not singled out the pesticides for what is termed “colony collapse disorder” and are awaiting the findings of the task force.
Coneybeare urged those at the Elora forum last week to write letters and send emails to local provincial and federal politicians, urging them to address the bee problem.
