Risks from pests, diseases and undesirable species sub-group
To achieve Outcome 2 the Risks from Pests, Diseases and Undesirable Species Sub-group will identify and agree priorites for the Implementation Group approval. Therefore it will agree a work programme with priorities areas identified for approval by the Implementation Group implementing and reporting progress periodically to the Implementation Group.
Terms of reference
The Sub-group will:
- continue to raise awareness among beekeepers of notifiable pests and exotic pests
- develop a risk based assessment of disease entry risk and focus inspection activity on these areas
- strengthen the enforcement of existing regulations on disease control and the importation of queens and honey bees
- monitor and investigate the causes of serious colony loss where initial screening indicates a significant need exists
- contribute to the development and spread of sound bee husbandry guidelines and standards of bee husbandry
- strengthen and improve the education of beekeepers and husbandry standards by co-ordination of training programmes and industry awareness initiatives
- encourage the breeding of local strains of bees to improve health and minimise the risk of disease import
Membership
| Name | Organisation |
|---|---|
| Tom Williamson | DARD (Plant Health Inspection Branch - Forest Service) |
| Sam Clawson | AFBI |
| John Hill | UBKA |
| Noel McAllister | UBKA |
| Robert Ditty | INIB |
| Michael Young MBE | INIB |
Priorities
- to investigate the possibility and the advantages of Northern Ireland linking into BeeBase
- the possibility of having a ‘bee disease officer’ in every association who could collect and forward samples to AFBI
- queen importation
Minutes of meetings
- Risks from pests, diseases and undesirable species sub-group minutes of meetings for 2012
- Risks from pests, diseases and undesirable species sub-group minutes of meetings for 2011