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Stronger measures of protection are needed for Beekeeping
by
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
