[Pollinator] Fwd: Bee protection group (bumblebee) under fire for failing to fight pestici...

Wed Aug 1 07:41:35 PDT 2012

____________________________________
 From: mjmiles at DOW.COM
To: ICPBR at LISTSERV.UOGUELPH.CA
Sent: 8/1/2012  3:28:36 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time
Subj: Re: Bee protection group  (bumblebee) under fire for failing to fight 
pesticide "armageddon."

did you not hear - there is a cure for whatever has affected  the bees - we 
are all  saved!!

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/scientific-breakthrough-halts-honeybee-colo
ny-collapse-disorder-2012-07-30

Scientifically-Engineered  by Woman Biochemist "BeesVita Plus is composed 
of scientifically-engineered,  natural components proven to contrast 
neonicotinoids' side effects on  honeybees," says BeesFree's chief scientist and 
BeesVita Plus inventor Dr.  Francesca del Vecchio. "The solution also contains 
antimicrobial agents and  compounds to fight viruses and its interaction 
with Nosema parasite. Plus, it  has powerful nutrients and antioxidants." 

Best regards
Mark  

-----Original Message-----
From: International Commission on  Plant-Bee Relations 
[mailto:ICPBR at LISTSERV.UOGUELPH.CA] On Behalf Of Matt  Shardlow
Sent: 31 July 2012 10:36
To:  ICPBR at LISTSERV.UOGUELPH.CA
Subject: Re: Bee protection group (bumblebee)  under fire for failing to 
fight pesticide "armageddon."

Here is a  summary of recent research into Neonicotinoids, please let me 
know if there  are any significant studies missing.

Cheers

Matt

Matt  Shardlow
Chief Executive

Buglife - The Invertebrate Conservation  Trust
First Floor
90 Bridge Street
Peterborough 
PE1  1DY 

01733 201210 
079 21  700151
www.buglife.org.uk

Conserving the small things that run the  world.

Fun ways to help bugs! Keen Buglife supporters are running  Half-marathons, 
losing weight and giving up chocolate - all to raise money for  Buglife! 
You too could do a sponsored activity to raise money and it doesn't  have to 
be hard work! How about holding a Big Bug Day at work or school,  hosting a 
cake-bake, or asking people to sponsor you to dye your hair pink for  a 
weekend? Click here to find out more.
Buglife - The Invertebrate  Conservation Trust is a company limited by 
guarantee,  Registered in  England at First Floor, 90 Bridge Street, 
Peterborough, Cambs, PE1  1DY.    Company no.  4132695       Registered charity no.  
1092293     Scottish charity  no. SC040004

-----Original Message-----
From: Matt Shardlow  
Sent: 30 July 2012 21:56
To: Peter Kevan;  ICPBR at LISTSERV.UOGUELPH.CA
Subject: RE: Bee protection group (bumblebee)  under fire for failing to 
fight pesticide "armageddon."

In 2009 Buglife  did a thorough review of the available scientific evidence 
of effects of  neonicotinoids on insects  
http://www.buglife.org.uk/Resources/Buglife/revised%20neonics%20report.pdf

We  have not repeated this recently, but another review is justified.  We 
do  also have a summary of post 2009 research but can't claim it is 
comprehensive;  I can circulate that tomorrow if people are interested.

For ICPBR  members to focus on the scientific data is of course correct, 
but also  significant and relevant to the ICPBR are the regulatory pesticide  
authorisation processes and the scientific quality and breadth of risk  
assessment of those processes.

Currently the risk assessment processes  do not include any assessment of 
the effects of insecticides on wild  pollinators, hence formal  pesticide 
approval processes (such as the EU  DAR) cannot assure us that the approved 
chemicals are therefore  environmentally safe.  This is not just the opinion of 
Buglife, it is  also the opinion of Defra/Fera and the European Food Safety 
 Authority.

The 2008 Fera/Defra report 'Are pesticide risk assessments  for honeybees 
protective of other pollinators' states that:-

"There are  many cases where species are several orders of magnitude more 
sensitive on a  per individual or weight basis than honeybees, e.g. 
Lepidopteran larvae.  Therefore more detailed information on the toxicity of 
pesticides to a range  of species and life stages is required to assess the 
sensitivity of wild  pollinators relative to honeybees."

"Given the wide range of plants  species dependent on non-Apis 
[non-Honeybee] pollinators a reduction in wild  pollinators is likely to have knock on 
effects on the plant species pollinated  by them, resulting in less forage."  

"More detailed toxicity and  exposure information for a range of species is 
required for a robust  assessment of the risk  posed."

http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&C
ompleted=0&ProjectID=15390

The  very recent 'Scientific Opinion on the science behind the development 
of a  risk assessment of Plant Protection Products on bees (Apis mellifera, 
Bombus  spp. and solitary bees)' European Food Safety Authority (2012) 
report  states:-

"Larvae of solitary bees consume large mass provisions with  unprocessed 
pollen thus, compared with honey bee larvae, they are more exposed  to 
residues in pollen. Moreover, bumble bees and solitary bees may be exposed  to a 
larger extent via contact with nesting material (soil or plants) compared  to 
honey bees, suggesting the need for a separate risk assessment for bumble  
bees and solitary  bees."

http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/2668.htm

I  hope most ICPBR members can support the call for introducing a range of  
standard tests of pesticides across a range of non-target pollinator  
groups.  If we can achieve these improvements in the scientific process  then in 
the future pesticides are much less likely to damage pollinator  populations.

Best wishes

Matt

Matt Shardlow
Chief  Executive

Buglife - The Invertebrate Conservation Trust First  Floor
90 Bridge Street
Peterborough
PE1 1DY

01733  201210
079 21 700151

www.buglife.org.uk

Conserving the small  things that run the world.

A year of bugs! This year put a reminder in  your diary each month to check 
out the new Bug of the Month. Go to the Buglife  website to find out about 
a new bug every month! 

Buglife - The  Invertebrate Conservation Trust is a company limited by 
guarantee,   Registered in England at First Floor, 90 Bridge Street, 
Peterborough, Cambs,  PE1 1DY.    Company no.  4132695      Registered  charity no.  
1092293     Scottish charity no.  SC040004

-----Original Message-----
From: International  Commission on Plant-Bee Relations on behalf of Peter 
Kevan
Sent: Mon  30/07/2012 18:24
To: ICPBR at LISTSERV.UOGUELPH.CA
Subject: Bee protection  group (bumblebee) under fire for failing to fight 
pesticide  "armageddon."

It seems that we are at ICPPR are also coming under some  fire in Europe, 
though not as seriously as for the bumblebee conservation  group in UK.  We 
need to be cautious to the extent that the neonicotinoid  debate is emotional 
and scientific.  I have not been following it for a  number of years, but 
ICPPR should reserve its assessments to consideration of  scientific data.  

Cheers,   Peter

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/environment/bee-protection-group-under-fi
re-for-failing-to-fight-pesticide-armageddon.18271390  

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