MASS BEES DIE-OFF: Global Food Crisis - MILLIONS Of Bees Have Died Off Since May In Bio Bio, Chile?!

August 12, 2013 - CHILE - Since May, when they killed millions of bees, beekeepers and Liucura Quillón Alto, located near the river Itata in the Bio Bio region, seeking solutions to continue with their work. But SAG, state agency headed by Anibal Ariztía nationwide, does not respond to the emergency that extends to other communities in the region. 

Some beekeepers lost all their bees, and others, who were no drawers, only contemplate the flaming centrifugal honey extraction purchased by themselves or in some cases, supported by INDAP. Not being evaluated so far the influence of the disappearance of these millions of bees in pollination required for fruit crops in the region. Until last year, the official version was that in Chile SAG had no incidents that show that the country also lived global collapse syndrome of bees. While government policy Sebastián Piñera continues with the slogan "Chile Food Power", the reality is otherwise contaminated food, high prices of fruits and vegetables for Chileans, and threats to the seed farmer, whose announced privatization further obscures this critical scenario. 

As demonstrated in this incident, the small crop farming only negative externalities agro-export model, intensive use of agrochemicals. Instead, multinationals like Monsanto, Pioneer and Bayer, producing hybrid and transgenic seeds, but also pesticides, redoubled their lobbying for new privileges through the draft Plant Breeders Act pending in Congress that guarantees delivery unpublished your business, including the prohibition of exchange and store of seed and the right to own the seed patents, to bring to justice those who use their seed producers, accusing them of "piracy". 

Possible Causes 
Beekeepers related mortality of these millions of bees with toxic insecticide application recently banned in Europe, which remain legal in Chile: Poncho (trade name of the active ingredient clothianidin), Gaucho (Imidacloprid) produced by Bayer and Syngenta, and other pesticides used in grape and cherry crops. Another cause of the plague, as beekeepers, pesticides spraying is carried out in the plantations sector, 80% of which are from Celco and remaining Hosain Senator Sabbath. A third case mentioned is that foods like fructose and pads vitaminizadoras, supplied officially recommended bees and are made with genetically modified corn that poisons bees. 

Transgenics in the Bio Bio 
By ignorance, beekeepers do not include the issue of GM crops, but in the region of Bio Bio, in Yungay, Los Angeles and other communities in the 2012-2013 season were grown transgenic 3019.23 hectares of experimental and / or certification export. Of these 2,222 acres are certified transgenic rapeseed, transgenic corn are 431 and there are 125 acres of transgenic soybeans (seed Certification 2012-2013 www.sag.cl ).According to scientists researching the subject, bees have a "fatal attraction" that leads them to travel greater distances than the usual to make it to the corn flower in search of pollen, transgenic here. The Bio Bio region ranks third in production of transgenic seeds export, with the regions of Maule and O'Higgins those in the first and second place in the ranking associated with a high use of agrochemicals such as glyphosate (Roundup) and other pesticides 

Maria Elena Rozas, coordinator of Pesticide Action Network RAP-Chile, commented: "The Agriculture and Livestock should have a ban and / or immediate suspension of the use of imidacloprid, clothianidin, fipronil Thiametoxam and responsible for the death large number of families of bees, pollinating insects and birds, and banned in Europe. The inaction on this issue seriously endangering continue these beneficial insects and biodiversity. The authority has powers to apply the precautionary principle, and emulate what was done in April this year by the EFSA European health authority in that regard. Among the reasons for the European ban are the risks posed by these pesticides in pollen and nectar crops attractive to bees. " 

Millions Lost 
Nearly a thousand crates of bees, which in the post-harvest holding about one hundred thousand individuals per drawer miscarry from the first week of May 2013, according to Juan Carlos Abarzúa, one of the beekeepers affected, current president of Quillón Beekeeping Committee. A box of bees has a value of between 55 and 60 thousand dollars, so that the direct losses reach sixty million pesos, excluding future losses (profits) for the low production of honey. At the time of producing many offspring are born and total population per drawer should reach skirting the 180-200000 bees. 

Given the ecological disaster, they told beekeepers four Prodesal officials of local, dependent on each other, in the municipalities of Quillón and Bulnes. The SAG in its report says that the plague is caused by the varroa a mite. Juan Carlos Abarzúa, of the town of Santa Clara in Liucura Alto, refutes: "No samples were taken that will ensure that. We have the proper and authorized treatments themselves. This is not to recognize that large forest piecework sprayed without warning nor warning. We also know of a fly that was introduced to him to eat pine moth. But we wonder, this fly has to mutate and what will you eat? This fly was supposed to die in winter!At the same time, wild rabbits are dying, the country people thought to die from starvation after this fly them itchy eyes and go blind, bumping into trees. For SAG, rabbits die from a fever "continues incredulous Juan Carlos Abarzúa. 

SAG Inaction 
In the meeting with agricultural officials beekeepers expressed concern about use of neonicotinoids in grapes to attack two insects, thrips and mealybugs, and the use of carbaryl in cherry. They complained of lack of control by the SAG. At this convening, INDAP arrived with Biomiel consultant, represented by Marcelo Rodriguez, whose approach was considered distracting for those affected. The consultants only referred to the responsibility of the beekeepers in the care of bees, incorporating the figure of the "beekeeper absent" and attributing the millions of dead bees to inattention. 

The damage was patchy. "Many left with zero drawer drawers I was 25 and I had total loss. Just this year had made a significant investment: a centrifuge for extracting honey. Another beekeeper did too, but with funds acquired a centrifuge Indap worth over 2.5 million dollars, "says Juan Carlos Abarzúa, adding that beekeeping requires much attention as investments to succeed is very high. 

Abarzúa continues: "The July 5 meeting was conducted with representatives beekeepers affected Indap, and Mr. Pedro Burgos, SAG official Bulnes city and municipal officials in charge of the respective Prodesal. We asked them for health analysis they were doing and had no answer. Neither explained why SAG continues to authorize the use of insecticides that are harmful to bees, as we are informed that clothianidin and tiametoxan are neonicotinoids that kill bees and were banned in other countries for that, but they did not give us answers our concern. " 

In the meeting held in July emanated not proposed solutions, and a month later only concerned beekeepers were summoned to form a Beekeeping Committee, whose characteristics do not know. Juan Carlos Abarzúa also criticized the role of the consultant Biomiel and added: "It hurts the indolence on the part of the authorities with regard to sustainability in our country and the planet. Without bees there is no future. We do not ask for replacement of bees, but clarity about what is going to adopt appropriate measures. No sampling sani secretariats to give a technical or scientific answer. " 

The latest incidents of death of bees globally occurred in early July this year in Elmwood, in the Canadian province of Ontario, where 37 million bees found dead. In turn, the British Beekeepers' Association said in a recent report that the past year saw the largest loss of bees in its history, while in Gerona, Catalonia, beekeepers have also lost millions of bees. David Schuit, who runs a bee farm in Elmwood, states were responsible for a loss of 600 hives insecticides family of 'neonicotinoids', manufactured by the multinational Bayer. - Rebelion. [Translated]