NORTH AMERICAN POLLINATOR PROTECTION
CAMPAIGN (NAPPC)
AUGUST 15, 2006
PRESS RELEASE    CONTACT: LAURIE ADAMS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE     415-362-1137
        LDA@COEVOLUTION.ORG
SCIENTIFIC TASK FORCE REVIEWS BEE IMPORTATION PRACTICES:
CANADA, MEXICO AND THE UNITED STATES IN SYNC PREVENTING FOREIGN
INVADER FROM PUSHING OUT NATIVE POLLINATORS
 
North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) releases
white paper and recommendations on issues surrounding non-native bumble bee
importation for use by agricultural and environmental policymakers
in the United States, Canada, and Mexico
 
A two year synthesis white paper of potential problems of importing non-native bumble
bees to pollinate crops in greenhouses was released today by the North American
Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC).  Representing the prestigious partnership of
nearly 120 organizations involved in the Campaign, were authors Kimberly Winter,
NAPPC: Laurie Adams, Coevolution Institute; Robbin Thorp, University of California,
Davis; David Inouye, University of Maryland; Liz Day, NAPPC Task Force; John Ascher, 
American Museum of Natural History; and Stephen Buchmann,  The Bee Works.  The
manuscript is titled, “IMPORTATION OF NON-NATIVE BUMBLE BEES INTO NORTH AMERICA: 
POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF USING BOMBUS TERRESTRIS AND OTHER NON-NATIVE
BUMBLE BEES FOR GREENHOUSE CROP POLLINATION IN CANADA, MEXICO, AND THE
UNITED STATES,” and is available online at www.pollinator.org and www.nappc.org . 
 
Written in response to worldwide pressure to commercially distribute non-native bumble
bees for greenhouse tomato production, this white paper discusses the status and
potential effects of non-native bumble bees, such as Bombus terrestris, on native
pollinators.  The issue has far-ranging consequences, since the negative effects of this
species have been documented in Japan, New Zealand, and other countries, and
damages caused by invasive species during the last century have been estimated at
over $137 billion in the United States alone.
 
The authors describe the physical and behavioral characteristics of Bombus terrestris,
discuss reports of suggested impacts on native species and ecosystems caused by the
spread of exotic bumble bee populations in countries engaged in commercial
importation.  They also review the potential consequences of introducing and expanding
populations of non-native bumble bees into Canada, Mexico, and the United States.  
Important recommendations presented by a team of experts that promote present and
future regulations and management of native Bombus species as commercial pollinators
in North America, include:
 
1) Continue to prohibit the importation of Bombus terrestris into Canada, Mexico,
and the United States.
 
2) Fund research to promote economically viable commercial rearing and use of
pollinators native to the Canada, Mexico, and the USA, both within those
countries and within each pollinator’s natural distribution range.
 
3) Continue to prohibit the importation of bees to North America from other
continents, especially importation of additional non-native species.  Any
legislation should exempt the Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera), as this
species has a unique regulatory status, but should apply to all other bee species,
including other honey bee species (e.g., Apis cerana).
 
4) Prohibit species of bees native to North America from being exported to
commercial rearing facilities overseas and later returned to North America. 
 
5) Use existing international instruments, such as the North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA), to address issues regarding the importation, quarantine,
and monitoring of bees, including international standards of inspection.  Train
customs personnel and port agricultural inspection officers regarding bumble bee
regulations to create uniform enforcement of laws and prevent illegal importation.
 
6) Evaluate current importation practices to ensure that environmental laws are not
being violated by the present commercial movement of Bombus species, and to
create opportunities for tri-national agency cooperation. 
 
7) Study and monitor species at risk, with special focus on Bombus franklini and B.
affinis, which might be harmed by the importation of potential competitors and
disease reservoirs such as B. terrestris and commercial B. impatiens.  Consider
potential economic and ecological costs when calculating the long-term effects of
releasing non-native pollinators.
 
8) Consider restricting the transport of non-Apis bee species within North America
(both between the USA, Canada, and Mexico, and between biologically distinct
regions within each country) to areas beyond their existing ranges, to prevent
establishment and spread of invasive bee populations and of associated exotic
parasites and diseases.  Any potential restrictions should specifically exempt
honey bees (Apis mellifera) and certain non-Apis species already long-
established and generally distributed in North America, such as the Alfalfa
Leafcutting Bee, Megachile rotundata, but should include economically important
species with restricted ranges such as Bombus impatiens.
 
The partners of the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC)
represent a collaboration of more than one hundred agencies, government and non-
government institutions, garden and grower groups, scientists, and other stakeholders
involved in pollinator conservation in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The full list
is available at http://www.nappc.org/partners2005.html. The Bee Importation White
Paper was made possible through a grant from the C. S Fund. The opinions and
recommendations expressed in this paper represent a consensus of the authors as
members of a NAPPC Task Force, and may not necessarily reflect the views of all
NAPPC partners, partner institutions, or other affiliates.
 
The Pollinator Partnership Symposium will be held on October 18th at the U.S.
Department of Agriculture Jefferson Auditorium to highlight this and other research about
pollinator declines, including the NAS study titled, “Status of Pollinators in North
America.”  Learn how public and private institutions and individual homeowners can
help to conserve the animals responsible for pollinating up to one third of our food
supply.    Please contact the Pollinator Partnership and NAPPC at www.nappc.org or
www.pollinator.org for further information and to register to attend.