Gaza honey production stung by Israeli policies

[Jefferson23]

Three offensives on the Gaza Strip, in addition to Israeli bulldozers regularly razing agricultural land, has led to a decline in beekeeping

The apiary owner and his son were working with their beehives in a field not far from the eastern borders of the Gaza Strip when a nearby Israeli tank started shelling towards empty areas inside the coastal enclave.

Mohamed Ridwan did not know that it was the start of a 51-day Israeli offensive on Gaza and that one-third of his apiary would be damaged. He cut his work short that day and, with his son, fled, fearing harm.

“A number of beehives were even left open,” Ridwan said, “I did not think that it would be a long war and that it would last for 51 days. All I thought was that a wave of clashes would end within hours and then I could be able to return to the field to complete my work.”

Ridwan is 43, but with the heavily etched frown lines on his forehead and the heavy movement of his hands, he looks 10 years older. He said that he chose the location of his apiary to be adjacent to the Israeli-imposed buffer zone at the eastern borders of Gaza because of the severe shortage of trees, mainly citrus, whose blossoms need bees to make their honey, elsewhere in the Strip.

Israel razed thousands of citrus trees

The siege’s impact on bees

Production, proliferation affected by wars

Ineffective solutions

- See more at: http://www.middleeasteye.net/in-depth/features/gaza-honey-production-down-due-israeli-policies-2108783500#sthash.vsbDsNLT.dpuf

[King_David]

1. What's killing Canadian honeybees?

http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/canada/what-s-killing-canadian-honeybees-1.1312511

[Jefferson23]

2. Has nothing to do with this OP. n/t

[King_David]

3. Yes it does , the honeybee issue is not unique to Gaza. nt

[Jefferson23]

4. The honeybee issue in Gaza is exacerbated to a higher level due to Israeli aggression. n/t

[King_David]

5. Your OP certainly takes that view. nt

[Jefferson23]

6. Yes, with good reason. n/t

[King_David]

7. Beekeepers see 42% of US honeybee colonies die off in a single year

More than two out of five American honeybee colonies died in the past year, and surprisingly, the worst die-off was in the summer, according to a federal survey.

Since April 2014, beekeepers lost 42.1% of their colonies, the second-highest rate in nine years, according to an annual survey conducted by a bee partnership that includes the US Department of Agriculture.

“What we’re seeing with this bee problem is just a loud signal that there’s some bad things happening with our agro-ecosystems,” said study co-author Keith Delaplane at the University of Georgia. “We just happen to notice it with the honeybee because they are so easy to count.”




http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/may/13/honeybee-deaths-colonies-beekeepers

[eloydude]

8. I was questioning that source..

especially when there is a global bee dieoff going on...

And the idea was to blame the Israelis for that?

For that, I must break into laughter on this idiocy.

[King_David]

9. Exactly right. nt

[Jefferson23]

11. The meaning of exacerbated by Israeli aggression is lost to you, evidently. n/t

[eloydude]

12. It does not. If you knew about the bee die-off

You'd be questioning the source too.

I've been following the bee die-off closely, and it has nothing to do with the Israeli aggression. The author apparently wanted to connect apples and oranges...

[Jefferson23]

13. Destroying thousands of trees they depend on has no impact..right. Only for those

incapable of seeing what is in front of their eyes.

[eloydude]

14. Destroying thousands of WHICH trees?

I heard olives. Bees do not typically make their residence on olive trees.

[Jefferson23]

15. Citrus trees, if you had read the OP, you would have known that. n/t

[oberliner]

18. Were the citrus trees inside Gaza?

Because, if so, they were not bulldozed by Israel.

[Jefferson23]

10. So what you're saying is, Israeli aggression has not had an impact on bee keepers

in Gaza..your claims are incredible.

[King_David]

16. It's not "claims"

It's the OP trying to blame Israel for a global honey bee problem.

It's laughable actually.

[Jefferson23]

17. It is absurd to make the claim that what Israel has done has no impact, which is what the

OP provides evidence for, what you're doing is what some say in defense of Monsanto.

You can't, no matter who you are, do what they have done and not see a negative
consequence as a result:

Israel razed thousands of citrus trees

The siege’s impact on bees

Production, proliferation affected by wars

Ineffective solutions

[azurnoir]

19. reading through this thread reminds me of some the climate change denial I've seen

oh it happens naturally Humans have no impact

oh and about the razing of agricultural land in Gaza by Israel

http://www.gnrd.net/userfiles/cc/gaza.pdf

[Jefferson23]

20. Say anything to insulate Israeli policy, I guess.The destruction of citrus trees

has been well documented. I thought this OP not controversial at all but live and learn on I/P.
Thanks much for that link.

2001

*Later in the day, two Palestinian youths, aged 10 and 14, were killed in separate shooting incidents in Gaza involving Israeli soldiers.

At Beit Hanoun, Palestinian officials said Israeli troops thrust a kilometre inside Palestinian territory, bulldozing or rocketing four police posts.
They razed houses and citrus trees in the most fertile part of a pitifully overcrowded and parched territory, and dug a trench to seal off the northern hinterland from the town centre.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/apr/18/israel

[Little Tich]

21. BBC Video 20 May 2014: Gaza bees seek Egyptian nectar

Source: BBC, 20 May 2014

Beekeepers in Gaza are reporting their best harvest in more than a decade.

The combination of fighting, urban development and disease had seen honey production drop dramatically but beekeepers have changed their strategy.

Alpa Patel reports.

Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-27481433

Note: The cause for the decline in honey production seems to be pretty clear...

[King_David]

22. Globally ? nt

[Little Tich]

23. No, locally in Gaza.

I propose that the decline in honey production between may 2014 and now is due to Israeli activities in Gaza. Without the war on Gaza, it's likely this year would have been as good as last year.

If you compare with Israel, there are no good figures for 2014, but apparently 2013 was a good year:

"Israel flowing with increased levels of Milk and Honey"
Source: JEWSNEWS, 2014/06/03 (yes, that's the name)
Link: http://www.jewsnews.co.il/2014/06/03/israel-flowing-with-increased-levels-of-milk-and-honey/

There is nothing that indicates that 2014 was different. If your bizarre proposal that global factors were in play in Gaza was true, there would logically have been a similar drop the production of honey in both Gaza and Israel at the same time. In the complete absence of any evidence whatsoever that there would be a drop in honey production in Israel 2015, I can safely assume that you are completely wrong.

[oberliner]

24. That's from 2014

Also from 2014:

Gaza enjoys best honey harvest in a decade

Gaza beekeepers say they are enjoying their best harvest in more than a decade in a region where conflict and poverty has seen honey production slashed by more than half in recent years.

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/life-style/healthy-living/2014/05/16/Gaza-enjoys-best-honey-harvest-in-a-decade.html

[King_David]

25. It's not bizarre

If honey and honey bees are threatened globally, everywhere in the world .

Israel can't be blamed for a global phenomenon , that's bizzare.

What you can do to help save local honey bees — and why you should care

But our honey bee population is on the decline, both nationally and globally.

http://southoldlocal.com/2015/04/29/what-you-can-do-to-help-save-local-honey-bees-and-why-you-should-care/

[Little Tich]

26. So what do you think caused the sharp decline in Gaza's production of honey

between May 2014 and now?

After all, the phenomenon seems to be very localized to Gaza and nowhere else. Is there anywhere else in the region where the honey production went down?

[King_David]

27. Honey production is down globally

Everywhere.

[Little Tich]

28. Where is this mythological land of "Everywhere"?

I already showed that there was an increase in honey production in Israel, here's one about the US:

U.S. honey production up in 2014, but colony losses continue
Source: Capital press, March 25, 2015
Read more: http://www.capitalpress.com/Nation_World/Nation/20150325/us-honey-production-up-in-2014-but-colony-losses-continue

Isn't it pretty obvious that the decline in Gaza's honey production is a direct result of Israeli actions?

It seems pretty obvious to me, so what am I missing here? Please help me understand...

[King_David]

29. You didn't "show " anything , read Oberliners response

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1134104293#post24


And after that read the thread and links where Honey Bees are having problems all over the world including Gaza .... And the USA and Canada and everywhere else ... The mythology you speak about is that Israel is somehow to blame , which is ridiculous.

[Little Tich]

30. His post proves my point: Honey production in Gaza increased until the bombings,

and now it's significantly lower because of the bombings. The article was from before the last war on Gaza, not after.

The available information shows clearly that Israel is to blame here.

Your argumentation is somewhat bizarre.

[King_David]

31. What's "bizarre " is blaming Israel for decreased honey production which is a global phenomenon

Dying honeybees, and the uncertain future of honey


http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/05/14/dying-bees-could-mean-the-end-of-american-honey/

Proving The great Abba Eban was correct when he said :


If Algeria introduced a resolution declaring that the earth was flat and that Israel had flattened it, it would pass by a vote of 164 to 13 with 26 abstentions.

Abba Eban


Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/abbaeban167935.html#9SCR7IC3eovEIt5j.99

When you say :
"Your argumentation is somewhat bizarre."

I feel your frustration in that your on the losing end of this argument and just can't argue against the facts..... It's soooo frustrating, isn't it?

[oberliner]

32. Who are the 13 "no" votes?

I don't think they exist anymore.

[King_David]

33. True

Maybe just the USA .

Obama downplays U.S.-Israeli rift

“The people of Israel must always know America has its back.”

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1134&pid=104287

[oberliner]

34. Canada too these days

That's about it.

[King_David]

38. Australia

Don't forget Micronesia and The Solomen islands too.

[azurnoir]

35. 2014 United States Honey Production Up 19 Percent

Honey production in 2014 from producers with five or more colonies totaled178 million pounds, up 19 percent from 2013. There were 2.74 million colonies producing honey in 2014, up 4 percent from 2013. Yield per colony averaged65.1 pounds, up 15 percent from the 56.6 pounds in 2013. Colonies which produced honey in more than one State were counted in each State where the honey was produced. Therefore, at the United States level yield per colonymay be understated, but total production would not be impacted. Colonies were not included if honey was not harvested. Producer honey stocks were 41.2million pounds on December 15, 2014, up 8 percent from a year earlier. Stocksheld by producers exclude those held under the commodity loan program.

Record High Honey Prices

Honey prices increased to a record high during 2014 to 216.1 cents per pound,up 1 percent from 214.1 cents per pound in 2013. United States and State level prices reflect the portions of honey sold through cooperatives,private, and retail channels. Prices for each color class are derived by weighting the quantities sold for each marketing channel. Prices for the 2013crop reflect honey sold in 2013 and 2014. Some 2013 crop honey was sold in2014, which caused some revisions to the 2013 crop prices.

http://www.dadant.com/news/2014-united-states-honey-production-up-19-percent

[Jefferson23]

36. The insulators for Israeli aggression in this thread are telling, always are. No wonder

they support a bantustan as a state for the Palestinians. When you're incapable
of admitting the harm done to thousands of citrus tree over many years, where
the consequences reached a tipping point after the last assault in Gaza, it appears
you're capable of almost anything...disgusting.

[oberliner]

37. The production of honey has decreased in the Gaza Strip over the past 10 years.

The production of honey has decreased in the Gaza Strip over the past 10 years. According to Ghazal, there are several reasons behind this decline in honey production. These include an increasing urban sprawl over agricultural lands following an increase in population density and the high levels of salinity in the underground water that affects citrus trees, damaging nearly a third of them. In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture has focused on the cultivation of olive trees, which do not require much water, but from which bees cannot gather nectar.

And from the same article:

Gaza mainly depends on Israeli experience in the field of honey production and for obtaining beekeeping supplies, which are all imported from Israel, says Ghazal, the president of Gaza's beekeeping association.

The honey-production sector encountered difficulties in the Gaza Strip under the first years of the blockade, after the apiary owners were prohibited from entering Israel to import queen bees and various supplies, a situation that has changed over the past three years.

Ghazal told Al-Monitor that during the blockade, Israel did not end the joint cooperation to combat disease among the bees, and medication continued to be sent, for fear that these diseases would be transferred to Israeli farms from the besieged Gaza Strip.

He explained that during the first years of the blockade, beekeepers in Gaza tried to import supplies from Egypt, but they were surprised by their significantly poor quality compared to those imported from Israel, which lead to significant financial losses during that period.

He said, “During our visit to several neighboring countries, we found that the Gaza Strip had much more experience in producing honey and beekeeping. This was true at all levels, both in the treatment of diseases and beekeeping and maintenance methods, given that producers in the Gaza Strip had emulated Israeli methods in this field.”

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/04/gaza-honey-bee-farmers-difficulties.html#ixzz3bHK5JdIs

[Little Tich]

39. But the current catastrophic decrease in honey production is wholly Israel's fault, don't you think?

It was difficult for the honey producers for a few years, but lately things looked better and the amount of honey produced increased, as your examples show.

Then the last war on Gaza destroyed the infrastructure for honey production as in the OP.

All the evidence provided in this thread proves conclusively that the decrease in Gaza's honey production is Israel's fault and nothing else. There isn't a shred of evidence that implies otherwise.

[King_David]

40. That's nonsense and silly,

Re read thread and links provided.

The decline in honey production has nothing to do with Israel at all.

[oberliner]

41. I don't really know

I'm sure the bombing didn't help. But there could have been other factors as well.

[Little Tich]

42. I can agree with that. n/t

[oberliner]

43. I'm now seeing ads for beekeeping supplies

Strange how the internet works. Or maybe not so strange.