AHBIC is the National Peak Body representing the total Apicultural (Beekeeping) Industry across Australia. Our major concern is to protect the Beekeeping Industry from the possible introduction of exotic honey bee pests and/or diseases that are not present here.

If the decision to attempt to commercialise the use of bumble bee populations in Tasmania, with a view to the using of bumble bees on mainland Australia for pollination of crops, we, the managed honey bee industry, expect to be involved in the decision making process.

Our major initial concern is the possible introduction of Braula coeca from Tasmania to mainland Australia. Braula coeca is a wingless fly, which lives and multiplies in honey bee colonies. It would have to be demonstrated clearly that Braula could not live and travel in a bumble bee colony; or conversely, if Braula could live in a bumble bee colony, that a system would be put into place to completely eliminate Braula from these colonies.

If it is decided that the Tasmanian population of bumble bees needs fresh importations because of inbreeding, New Zealand is the only country that we could, in the short term, agree to these importations coming in from. However, the Tasmanian beekeepers would need to be involved in the later discussions, and there would need to be widespread discussions with the Beekeeping industry on the mainland before any final agreements are reached.

With regard to environmental concerns and the need to control their escape into mainland Australia &endash; commercial bumble bees are only suitable for glass-house pollination. They are too expensive to compete with managed honey bee colonies in a field crop situation on a commercial basis.

On a recent trip to Canada I saw bumble bees pollinating in an 18 acre glasshouse.

These bumble bees were not native to the area, and they were controlled in their hives so that the queens and drones could not escape. These hives had a limited life of 6-10 weeks and had to be destroyed under supervision.