Evidence of meeting #14 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was bee.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
Thank you, Mr. Nixon.
Thank you, Mr. Breton.
Mr. Maguire, you have three minutes.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
Larry Maguire Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Dr. Cutler, I think it was you who mentioned there are 20,000 species of bees on the earth, 1,000 of them here in Canada. Of course, we're talking about the wild versus the honeybees that I think you mentioned as well.
Do you see any difference in the strength of breeding in those different types of bees?
5:10 p.m.
Prof. Chris Cutler
Sorry. The strength of breeding...?
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
Larry Maguire Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB
The strength of the bees themselves, between the wild and the honeybee, the ones that may be in our apiaries today. They are overwintered. They are brought through, but is there any research or evidence you could give us in regard to the strength of any of the different species and their ability to overwinter and produce?
5:10 p.m.
Prof. Chris Cutler
In terms of the wild species, do you mean?
5:15 p.m.
Prof. Chris Cutler
Bees have been evolving throughout Canada and elsewhere for thousands and thousands of years, so they are well adapted to deal with the climate and the stressors that occur naturally and to successfully overwinter.
The wild bees are, perhaps, a little more vulnerable in some ways in the sense that most of those wild bee species are solitary. The social nature of honeybees is not unique, but the vast majority of bees are not social.
In that sense, you have a huge honeybee colony, and there's strength in numbers so to speak, so that colony can kind of buffer itself against the stresses it may encounter, whereas with some solitary species and wild species.... For instance, you may have a bumblebee queen that's flying around at this time of the year, and she is the actual individual that's trying to found and establish the colony in the wild, so she's a lot more vulnerable to potential stresses, whether they occur over the winter or during the season.
I guess that would be one of the main differences. I don't know if Dr. Kevan has something to add to that.
5:15 p.m.
Professor Emeritus, School of Environmental Sciences, Ontario Agricultural College, University of Guelph, As an Individual
Only a quick point, in Saskatchewan there were breeding programs for the alfalfa leafcutter bee, which led to some changes in the nature of the bees that were commercially available and improved the industry.
There's a certain amount of selection and geographic separation, particularly between the northern stocks of leafcutter bees and the southern stocks. The southern stocks tend to have more diseases than the northern stocks. By the sort of shake-hand agreement among the producers, they tend not to shift their bees around too much because of the selection, the advantages of one particular biotype in one part of Saskatchewan versus another part of Saskatchewan.
I think that's a good example of a wild bee that has been taken into domestication and is used practically and has been selected and bred for particular beneficial characteristics.
5:15 p.m.
NDP
Brigitte Sansoucy NDP Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'm not sure who can answer me, but I'll let you decide.
Health Canada adopted risk reduction measures to protect bees from exposure to neonicotinoid dust. Health Canada also banned certain neonicotinoids because they pose a risk to both bee and human health.
How did adopting risk reduction measures result in fewer instances of bee mortality?
5:15 p.m.
Prof. Chris Cutler
In my opinion, it's too early to tell if there's been any effect. I would be surprised if the changes had any effect on the honeybee.
5:15 p.m.
NDP
Brigitte Sansoucy NDP Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
You are saying that Health Canada's measures had no effect.
5:15 p.m.
Prof. Chris Cutler
In my opinion, I don't think that the neonicotinoid insecticides are a major cause of problems with bee health. Again, out west in Alberta, as Mr. Nixon has alluded to, practically 100% of canola is treated with these chemicals, and beekeepers intentionally put their hives in those fields.
In other situations, in corn-growing states along the corn belt, there are bees as well. There doesn't seem to be any correlation between whether or not there's a corn field present and the survival of those bees. That work has been looked at.
Personally, I think the situation in Ontario is a very political and an emotional one, but I'm not convinced that it will have any effect on honeybee health.
5:15 p.m.
Chair, Canadian Honey Council
I just want to make a point to clarify. You're asking about the measures that Health Canada put in place. Are they measures that Health Canada has put in place or are you referring to measures that somebody else has put in place?
5:20 p.m.
NDP
5:20 p.m.
Chair, Canadian Honey Council
As far as I know, Health Canada has done some studies and re-evaluations on the neonicotinoids. As far as taking measures goes, the industry has taken some measures to help reduce risks with seed flow lubricants and planting equipment, but I would agree with the earlier statement that it's too early to say if there will be any effect.
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
Thank you, Ms. Sansoucy.
Thank you, everyone. That concludes our rounds of questioning.
If the committee would permit me, I would just like to ask maybe one question.
Ms. Fowlie, you got off easy today. I want to ask you a question.
May 30th, 2016 / 5:20 p.m.
Executive Vice-President, Canadian Horticultural Council
It's okay.
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
It's with reference to Dr. Kevan's point in his opening remarks that in a sense, this is bringing the producers thousands and thousands of dollars in profit, so why are they not being more active or contributing more to the well-being of the bees?
5:20 p.m.
Executive Vice-President, Canadian Horticultural Council
I'll try to answer that but it will be with limited knowledge, because I'm not, perhaps, as familiar with the economics of beekeeping on either a large scale or a small scale as I should be.
I definitely do believe, though, that industry producers, producer groups, are contributing in various ways to advancing the cause, if you will, whether it's through their participation in the round tables or through some of the work that we've been investing in through science clusters, which have ancillary impacts on how crops are treated. I'm thinking of some of the work we've done, particularly in Nova Scotia, through the science cluster, on spraying and monitoring techniques.
I'm perhaps not as informed as I should be to adequately answer that question, but I do believe that there is commitment and investment.
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
Thank you.
I'd like to thank the panel, those who are here, Dr. Kevan and Ms. Fowlie, and also the others for taking the time, especially the beekeepers because I know you are having a busy day. I certainly want to thank you on behalf of the committee for participating today. We really appreciate it. It's been very informative to our study on how to improve bee health in Canada.
Thank you everyone.
I would ask the committee to stay. We have a little business to attend to, and it will take a few minutes.
Thanks again.