New Zealand Beekeepers Protest Proposed Honey Imports

Bee-Keepers Swarming to the Beehive in Honey-Import Protest
Radio New Zealand, 4/3/2006

Bee-keepers will protest at the Beehive in Wellington this week against proposals to allow imports of foreign honey into New Zealand.

A rally will be held at Parliament at midday on Tuesday.

Currently, honey imports are banned from all countries except some Pacific islands, because of the risk of introducing serious bee diseases such as European Foul Brood.

But the Biosecurity Authority has drafted new import health standards that would allow honey imports from Australia and other parts of the world.

Protest co-ordinator, Waikato beekeepers president, Russell Berry, says they don't accept that heat-treating imported honey, as proposed, would remove the disease threat...