Letter

Dear Editor

In B&D42 you printed an article about introducing European bees from Australia to Céte d'Ivoire in Africa. think your condemnation of such attempts introduction of bees was not strong enough

I hope that all the imported colonies have been killed by the African bees. If not, can you tell us if the foreign expert is quite satisfied with their honey production and pollination? How can US Aid support such crazy idea?

I would be pleased if at the Apimondia Congress in Antwerp you tell leaders of organisations to campaign against the introduction of European bees to Africa. Brother Adam said that Africa was “reserve of genes for the future”.

In Cameroon we have no European or American foulbrood or Varroa. If these diseases have been introduced into Céte d'Ivoire then they will soon also be in Cameroon.

Apis mellifera adansonii here in West and Central Africa is quite capable of producing plenty of honey! What the experts must do is select, as we did in Europe, but of course this takes long time. It is more fun to carry hundreds of bee hives by ship and plane using other people’s money.

Thank you for hearing my call in the name of African bee farmers. You and I know that importation of bees is not good thing and we must protest as much as possible to ensure this experience is not renewed

Yours in anger André Romet

Mr Romet is working with the Non-Governmental Organisation ADEID in Bafoussam, Cameroon

Note from the Editor: American foulbrood was recently identified in two apiaries in North West Province of Cameroon by Alan Morley, working for BESO.