Bee Health and Pesticides

Brussels, Belgium (ots/PRNewswire) -

Industry Supports EFSA Conclusion on Recent Bee Health Studies

ECPA supports scientific research into the field of bee health,
but recent research findings of Whitehorn and Henry [1] fails to
account for the many factors that impact bee and colony health in
real life[2]. These researchers have applied unrealistic pesticide
dose levels in many cases and have dosed continuously bees in
unrealistic environments over a long period of time that is not
representative of actual field situations in agriculture[3].

"Although interesting measures, like the tracking of bees with
Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) devices have been introduced in
the studies, EFSA is right to argue that it is necessary to repeat
the experiments with other exposure levels and in other situations
before being able to draw definitive conclusions" - commented
Friedhelm Schmider, Director General of European Crop Protection
Association (ECPA).

"The current risk assessment scheme has proven to be effective
and it is always considered good practice to regularly review and
adapt in line with the latest science available"- he continued. ECPA
looks forward to seeing the in-depth review, due to be published in
December 2012, on the effects of neonicotinoids.

A clear distinction should also be made between individual
incidents of honey bee losses and general honey bee population
decline. Individual incidences have occurred due to inappropriate use
of insecticides and the plant protection industry is conducting a
number of stewardship campaigns to prevent such accidents in the
future. However it needs to stressed that there is no scientifically
proven causal link between pesticide use and a general honey bee
population decline.

We need to remember that the cause of honeybee colony losses in
Europe is multi-factorial. "It includes harmful parasites, climate
change, habitat loss, pollution, pesticides, disease, insufficient
food and Invasive Alien Species. But it is the parasitic Varroa mite
that has been identified as the biggest specific threat to honey bee
populations. Further problems are caused by a lack of appropriate
foraging habitat in the modern agricultural landscape during some
summer periods. It is also important to note that colony losses do
not occur simultaneously across all regions of Europe, but are often
prevalent in specific regions only"- he said.

"The sustainability of modern agriculture, and indirectly, the
crop protection industry depends on the pollinating services provided
by bees. We will continue to work with all relevant stakeholders to
understand and develop solutions to the bee health problem"-
Friedhelm Schmider concluded.

For the download link of the press release:

http://www.ecpa.eu/news-item/environmental-protection/06-01-2012/
670/bee-health-and-pesticides

Further points:

- ECPA, the ambassador for the crop protection industry, recognises the
importance of bees and other pollinators as important components of healthy ecosystems
and as valuable contributors to the pollination of crops such as fruits, vegetables
and nuts, and therefore supports the need for appropriate risk assessment.
- ECPA would like to support the need for addressing the health and welfare of
pollinators as important contributors to a productive and sustainable agriculture
which is facing the challenges of feeding an increasing global population while
preserving natural resources and enhancing biodiversity.

The European Crop Protection Association (ECPA) represents the
crop protection industry interests at European level. Its members
include all major companies and national associations across Europe.

1. Whitehorn et al 2012; Henry et al 2012

2.
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/press/news/120601.htm?WT.mc_id=RSS&emt=1

3. See also: James E. Creswell 2010 http://www.farmlandbirds.net/
sites/default/files/Creswell%20Bee%20Article%20(2).pdf

Contact:

Anna Seretny, Communications Coordinator, anna.seretny@ecpa.eu

Angel Martin, Governmental Affairs Manager, angel.martin@ecpa.eu

Switchboard : +32-(0)2-663-1550

For more general information:

http://www.ecpa.eu - http://www.hungry4change.eu-
facebook.com/cropprotection [http://www.facebook.com/cropprotection ]
- twitter.com/cropprotection [https://twitter.com/#!/cropprotection
]

ots Originaltext: The European Crop Protection Association
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de