Well it's a start....
http://www.scotsman.com/news/environ...vens-1-3128377
Oh and anyone who looks at the comments will see my exasperated reply to someone describing AMMs as lazy!
Colonsay reserve approved!
Well it's a start....
http://www.scotsman.com/news/environ...vens-1-3128377
Oh and anyone who looks at the comments will see my exasperated reply to someone describing AMMs as lazy!
Last edited by drumgerry; 06-10-2013 at 09:55 PM. Reason: More info
At last the government has woken up and has done something positive for once.
If there is only one beekeeper on Colonsay how will that work ?
It means no one else can decide to keep Buckfast on the island and wreck 30 years of hard work put in by Andrew with his native stock.
It's ok at the moment, but up to now there was no legal protection to stop some eejit new beekeeper keeping a different sub species on the island.
And it's not the biggest of islands. I don't see it being over-run by beekeepers. And if someone does decide to take it up at least there'll be some assurance for Andrew like you say Jon.
Thought Andrew's letter in the SBA mag this month was spot-on. My fervent hope is that the Colonsay decision is something we can build on and point to as an example to be followed on the mainland in appropriate areas. No reason this has to be an island-only phenomenon with the terrain we have here in Scotland. I have a dream of someday a similar reserve being set up in my neck of the woods say in Glenlivet. And of course elsewhere in Scotland.
Ok but lets say someone on Colonsay other than Andrew Abrahams wants to keep bees
Are they to obtain bees from him or could they bring in AMM bees from Ireland
How are AMM bees defined in this legislation
Presumably all this has been covered in some way
Colonsay reserve approved!
Just looked again at the SBA mag piece about Colonsay. The quote from the Order was not very comprehensive it turned out. No mention of a definition of AMM. Surely they must have put one in the legislation!? If not it's a huge oversight. Does anyone have access to the full text of the Order in order to confirm or deny the definition question?
Hi Drumgerry
One of my colonies (definitely not what I would call AMM ) scanned out a 77% AMM could I take that one to Colonsay, varroa and all, or would I be in jail shortly afterwards. ?
I don't get the SBA mag at the moment -- waiting to join again in January
Interestingly the Scottish Wildlife and Countryside Act (again, like Scottish politics, Gavin will correct the terminology) makes it illegal to import 'foreign' species ... so taking varroa to Colonsay would be a crime (and a disaster).
I think this is a great development and those of you reading this that had some small part to play in supporting the proposal - directly or indirectly - should be congratulated.
Well done.
Not to sure about that Fatshark as varroa is already in Scotland you might not be importing itOriginally Posted by fatshark
Unless Colonsay is an independent country you would be spreading it possibly
When it comes to spreading invasive species I think the list includes Japanese knotweed perhaps grey squirrels Zander Catfish etc I don't know if varroa is on the list or not.
It might all be covered in the legislation that has been passed
The newspapers often just skim the surface but if AMM are undefined and the restriction only says non AMM can't be taken to Colonsay then that only amounts to a partial protection.
Also If that legislation appears to restrict other residents of the EU from bee keeping on Colonsay then that might run into trouble later as well
Of course that's all nonsense and it won't ever happen but sometimes the waterproof defence is just an illusion
Anyway hooray for the devil and his advocate
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