[email protected]
Cancun, Q. Roo.- The use of a highly toxic chemical banned in other countries, but admitted in Mexico caused the death ] of hundreds of thousands bees in 19 apiaries located in Ejido Candelaria municipality José María Morelos, in Quintana Roo. 19659002] The pesticide that was identified as fipronil, whose trade name Regenet is 4SC and very toxic for the bees used by an entrepreneur from Yucatan named Pablo Mendoza, until disinfected a piece of land on his property where he will grow chili habanero, indicated Wilson Ayala Mex , one of the beekeepers that resulted disadvantaged .
The [194] 59003] effects of the chemical covered an estimated radius of four kilometers, affecting an average of 300 baskets and hundreds of thousands bees Apis Meliphera, in 19 apiaries, ] killed agreement with data provided by the Mexican Citizens' Council for Sustainable Forestry Peninsula Yucatan (CCMSS-PY), who works with young beekeepers in the area.
The organization quantified – with the help of their own beekeepers – compensation for two million 300 thousand pesos, due to the loss of bees wax and honey.
Ayala Mex explained that although small honey reserves, the nearest harvest, between October and November, was lost, which means "a devastating economic blow", and also loses the income of Maya families who live from the production of honey.
The Mayan beekeeper stated that since August 8, other producers began to detect the mortality of bees, which increased as the days passed.
Eight days later "the bees are still falling", he said and noticed that they were given the task of assessing the apiaries near the area where they found the ground full of dead bees.
Together with Aurora Xolalpa, a researcher at the Intercultural Maya University of Quintana Roo (UIMQROO), several samples have been taken, for research and follow the effects of the chemical on other pollinators, on fauna and flora and even on the human health, in addition to studying how long The waste of the chemical will be needed in the ecosystem.
Last Saturday, the affected beekeepers tried to file a complaint with the public prosecutor, José María Morelos, but the authority refused to admit it, because the death of the bees – in the opinion of the agent of the public prosecutor's office – is not a crime and because the institution is unauthorized, Wilson remarked.
The Citizens' Council stressed, however, that the State Penal Code in Article 147, Section II, specifies who or who "destroys beehives, honey, bees, honeycombs and bee products" cause an infringement in the field of beekeeping.
After insistence and argument, beekeepers succeeded in having the complaint accepted, which opened a research process
Additional consequences
Xolalpa Aroche is a full-time research professor at UIMQROO, specialist in bees, develops the program for engineering in agroecological production systems (ISPA) and is part of the academic organization for sustainable development in beekeeping projects.
Source link