Caribbean Congress

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO HOST FOURTH CARIBBEAN CONGRESS

The Congress was hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources, in collaboration with the beekeeping community of Trinidad & Tobago, and held under the auspices of the Apimondia Standing Commission Beekeeping for Rural Development.

The beekeepers of Trinidad & Tobago produced a warm welcome for visitors participating in the Fourth Caribbean Congress, held in Port of Spain, 14-18 November 2005. The Congress venue was the Crown Plaza Hotel, transformed from its normal décor to an arena full of sparkling honey, decorations, fountains and flowers.

The Congress was opened by the Minister of Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources, The Honourable Jarrette Narine, who had played a crucial role in providing Ministry support for the Congress. And it was indeed an excellent Congress, with the right mix of informative lectures, research papers, discussions and field trips. All helped along with Caribbean music, hospitality and flair.

The Caribbean beekeeping sector faces many new constraints, with threats developing at an alarming rate from honeybee diseases and parasites. Jamaica reported the presence, in August 2004, of Small Hive Beetle Aethina tumida - the first record of this predator in the Caribbean (this beetle is indigenous to Africa). When the first of these Congresses took place in Tobago in 1998, Tobago was free of any honeybee disease. Today, Tobago has European foulbrood, EFB - a bacterial disease of bee brood, the parasitic Varroa mite, and further risks the introduction of Africanised bees from Trinidad. This pattern is being repeated throughout the region, with most Caribbean islands now providing homes for Varroa mites.

Marking Mr Hallim's retirement as Inspector of Apiaries - Left to right: Mr Ian Fletcher (the new Inspector of Apiaries) Mr Gladstone Solomon - President, Tobago Apiculture Society and ACBO; Mr Mohamed K I Hallim - President, Beekeepers' Association of Trinidad and Tobago, and Treasurer, ACBO; Mr Winfield Murray - President, All Island Bee Farmers' Association of Jamaica, and Vice President, ACBO; Mr Chunilal Roopnarine - President, Association of Professional Beekeepers, and Assistant Secretary, ACBO

Trinidad & Tobago National Honey Show awards await presentation to winners

While honeybee diseases are becoming widespread throughout the region, most of the island nations do not have technical resources to assist the beekeeping sector. The main causes of introduction of disease are through imports of bees by uninformed beekeepers, and via the high level of freight traffic in the region.

Caribbean beekeepers face other constraints too: Grenada's and Jamaica's beekeepers are amongst those still trying to recover from Hurricane Ivan in September 2004. However, for most it is man-made problems that are the most chronic: beekeepers from many islands stated that loss of sites for their apiaries has become a major problem - as more areas of these tropical islands are taken over by hotels, housing and golf courses.

The Congress also included the Trinidad & Tobago National Honey Show. This event is modelled closely on the UK's National Honey Show, at which T&T beekeepers are regular participants and winners. In addition to classes for honey, The Honey Show also included competitions for beeswax, value added products and wine.

On the final day of the Congress, participants were taken on field trips to distant corners of Trinidad, with an optional subsequent tour to visit beekeepers in Tobago. These field trips were excellently co-ordinated by local beekeepers, and much appreciated by all. Indeed the T&T beekeeping community has many members whose combined skills made this event a great occasion. One person who has done much for the sector, and is well known throughout the region, is Mr Mohamed Hallim, T&T's long serving Inspector of Apiaries, whose retirement was 'celebrated' at the Congress. Mr Hallim has a well-earned reputation for being a tough guardian of bees, and a strict enforcer of T&T's beekeeping legislation.

An important part of the Congress was approval of the Constitution of the Association of Caribbean Beekeeping Organisations, ACBO. Officers of ACBO were instated, and Mr Gladstone Solomon was elected President. ACBO is also established as a Working Group within Apimondia's Standing Commission Beekeeping for Rural Development.

Honey on display

Preparing exhibits for the Honey Show

Bees for Development would like to acknowledge the support of Trinidad & Tobago Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources, for sponsoring Dr Nicola Bradbear's participation in this Congress.