RESTORATION OF APIS CERANA ON THE GOTO …GOTO ISLANDS Bees/or Development Journal 85 Project begins...
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Bees/o/ Development Journal 85 GOTO ISLANDS RESTORATION OF APIS CERANA JAPONICA ON THE GOTO ISLANDS Fujio Hishahi, Nagasaki, Japan The Goto Islands are Japanese islands in the East China Sea. When I visited Fukue Island, one of the Goto Islands, during the oilseed rape blooming season four years ago, I looked for Apis cerana japonica on the flowers, but found none. I visited the other Goto Islands several times, in golden rod blooming seasons between 2004 and 2007, and found no bees. I discovered that three of the other islands also had no Apis cerana japonica, and only Tsushima and Hirado had bees. I wanted to know whether the bees had never inhabited the islands or if they had become extinct. If they were extinct, I wanted to know the cause and how plants could bear fruit without these major pollinators. I interviewed elderly people I met for information about the bees. I looked for beekeepers and evidence of the bees' previous presence, and became certain that Apis cerana japonica had been indigenous. The bees disappeared from three of the islands 60 years ago and from the fourth island about 15 years ago. I concluded that there was a common cause for the disappearance of these bees - deforestation of the indigenous trees on the islands. Cause and effect During and after the Second World War (1939-1945), many people were evacuated from air raided cities to the islands, and the islands quickly became over-crowded. The new inhabitants cut down trees and opened the land to farming to provide much needed food. Some islands are flat while others are mountainous. On the flat islands, almost all the trees were cut down, while some were left on the Fujio Hisashi is a retired teacher who has been keeping Apis cerana japonica in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan for 20 years. He has 100 colonies at 30 apiary sites. Fukue Island where Apis cerana japonica became extinct 60 years ago mountainous islands. A few trees were left uncut on cliffs along the seacoasts because the woods there were believed to attract fish. However over time the remaining trees were also cut down for fuel for cooking, making charcoal and drying tobacco leaves. Young trees grew from the stumps but it took the trees about ten years to begin bloominM again. So there must have been a period when there were no flowers. " Thus, people deprived the bees of their food and the bees starved to death and became extinct about 60 years ago. Poor harvest Farmers say that they do not grow many kinds of crops on the islands, such as pumpkins, cucumbers, melons and watermelons, because they cannot expect a good harvest. Instead root crops, mainly sweet potatoes, are grown. Very few of the islanders noticed the absence of the pollinator, Apis cerana japonica. Bumble bees, butterflies, beetles and birds sparsely pollinate the islands. But now the indigenous trees, evergreen, shiny leafed trees have grown again in the islands: people made windbreaks for their crops by raising the trees, and once more they could provide forage for bees. Indigenous nectar sources in southern Japan Plant Japanese name Sazanka Japanese chestnut suda jii mochi noki nezumimochi mateba shii Nurude Japanese wild cherry Sangoju Oilseed rape, an abundant nectar source Camellia sasanqua Castanea crenata Castanopsis sieboldii Ilex Integra Ligustrum japonicum Pasania edulis Phus javanica Prunus jamasakura Viburnum awabuki
Transcript of RESTORATION OF APIS CERANA ON THE GOTO …GOTO ISLANDS Bees/or Development Journal 85 Project begins...
Bees/o/ Development Journal 85 GOTO ISLANDS
RESTORATION OFAPIS CERANAJAPONICA ON THEGOTO ISLANDSFujio Hishahi, Nagasaki, JapanThe Goto Islands are Japanese islands in the East China Sea. When Ivisited Fukue Island, one of the Goto Islands, during the oilseed rapeblooming season four years ago, I looked for Apis cerana japonica onthe flowers, but found none. I visited the other Goto Islands severaltimes, in golden rod blooming seasons between 2004 and 2007, andfound no bees. I discovered that three of the other islands also had noApis cerana japonica, and only Tsushima and Hirado had bees. Iwanted to know whether the bees had never inhabited the islands or ifthey had become extinct. If they were extinct, I wanted to know thecause and how plants could bear fruit without these major pollinators.I interviewed elderly people I met for information about the bees. Ilooked for beekeepers and evidence of the bees' previous presence, andbecame certain that Apis cerana japonica had been indigenous. Thebees disappeared from three of the islands 60 years ago and from thefourth island about 15 years ago. I concluded that there was a commoncause for the disappearance of these bees - deforestation of theindigenous trees on the islands.
Cause and effectDuring and after the Second World War (1939-1945), many peoplewere evacuated from air raided cities to the islands, and the islandsquickly became over-crowded. The new inhabitants cut down trees andopened the land to farming to provide much needed food.
Some islands are flat while others are mountainous. On the flat islands,almost all the trees were cut down, while some were left on the
Fujio Hisashi is a retired teacher who has been keeping Apis cerana japonica inNagasaki Prefecture, Japan for 20 years. He has 100 colonies at 30 apiary sites.
Fukue Island where Apis cerana japonica became extinct 60 years ago
mountainous islands. A few trees were left uncut on cliffs along theseacoasts because the woods there were believed to attract fish.However over time the remaining trees were also cut down for fuel forcooking, making charcoal and drying tobacco leaves. Young trees grewfrom the stumps but it took the trees about ten years to begin bloominMagain. So there must have been a period when there were no flowers. "Thus, people deprived the bees of their food and the bees starved todeath and became extinct about 60 years ago.
Poor harvestFarmers say that they do not grow many kinds of crops on the islands,such as pumpkins, cucumbers, melons and watermelons, because theycannot expect a good harvest. Instead root crops, mainly sweetpotatoes, are grown. Very few of the islanders noticed the absence ofthe pollinator, Apis cerana japonica. Bumble bees, butterflies, beetlesand birds sparsely pollinate the islands.But now the indigenous trees, evergreen, shiny leafed trees have grownagain in the islands: people made windbreaks for their crops by raisingthe trees, and once more they could provide forage for bees.
Indigenous nectar sources in southern Japan
Plant Japanese name
Sazanka
Japanese chestnutsuda jiimochi nokinezumimochimateba shiiNurudeJapanese wild cherrySangoju
Oilseed rape, an abundant nectar source
Camellia sasanquaCastanea crenataCastanopsis sieboldiiIlex IntegraLigustrum japonicumPasania edulisPhus javanicaPrunus jamasakuraViburnum awabuki
GOTO ISLANDS Bees/or Development Journal 85
Project beginsI was determined to restore Apis cerana japonica to Goto Islands. Mostof the islands are becoming depopulated year after year, and theneglected fields are spreading. I thought the presence of bees mighthelp the land produce more crops and help people to make their living.
I chose Uku Island to start. This island is nearest to my home and hasno economic forests. Fortunately, a couple who love Apis ceranajaponica live there. I asked them to co-operate with me to restore thebees. I sent four of my colonies to them in February 2007.
A local newspaper reported my activity, and some people of the GotoIslands asked me how to get the colonies. They wanted to keep bees ontheir islands. We began the Project for restoration of Apis cerana onGoto Islands. Many people have joined us. Some began making traphives to set at their friends' homes on the mainland.
Impossible restorationThe bees died out from Nakadori Island only 15 years ago, after45 years of survival through the post-war confusion. I met a carpenter,Mr Uno, who had kept Apis cerana japonica in his back yard. He is thelast Apis cerana japonica beekeeper on the Goto Islands. The trees
Jttere not all cut down after the war because the land was tooWountainous for farming. So the bees survived. Later however, came thetime of rapid economic growth and the government mounted acampaign to plant cash trees, such as cedar and cypress, for housingconstruction. The indigenous trees were cut down and subsidisedcedar saplings were planted. Now most of the island is covered with thecedar forests and bees cannot be found anywhere. It seems impossibleto restore bees to Nakadori.
The 'turnover' hive offers advantages in colony management and honey harvesting
Pumpkins are expected to produce better crops with Apis cerana japonicapollinators
Trap hivesOne of the project members, Dr Miyazaki, decided to take care of therestoration on Fukue Island. He and I set the traps around Mount Mayuin Shimabara City. I estimated the area to be suitable for 1,000colonies. But to our disappointment, no bees appeared around thetraps. We learned that pesticide had been sprayed from helicopters andexterminated the bees in that area. The local government did it to get ridof pine tree pests.
The government staff found our traps and demanded we remove them.Their excuse was that the bees might sting the tourists. We also foundout that they had been.spraying the pesticide on Uku Island and theother islands for the past 30 years. They have been devastating theislands killing many kinds of insects, Crustacea and seaweed. Weprotested at the city hall and started a movement to stop it. Theyinsisted they should preserve the beautiful sights and block the windwith the pine trees. We are now in dispute.
Some people who grow strawberries and blueberries on Uku Islandbecame members of the project to use Apis cerana japonica instead ofApis mellifera which they had leased from the mainland beekeepers.Apis cerana japonica are easy to keep and can protect themselves fromhornet attacks.
HivesI use two kinds of hives for keeping and transferring the bees to theislands: local log hives that we call 'turnover' hives and box hives.There are also various other kinds of traditional hives in Japan. Thehives I use have advantages in colony management, and harvestinghoney is easy. Turnover hives used to be woven with bamboo andcoated inside with clay. But now there are no bamboo craftsmen leftalive, so some are made from logs. I made mine with wooden planks.You turn the hive upside down after harvesting from the top of the hive.This means the brood cells that occupied the bottom of the combsbecome the top. The bees take care of the larvae with no problem. Theprinciple of this hive is not widely known even in Japan. I was informedthat the colonies I sent to Uku Island have developed into 19 coloniesduring this breeding season. After the breeding season I visited UkuIsland to see how the colonies were doing, and I found them all largeand active. They have on average multiplied five fold, and are surelygoing to reproduce themselves into more than 1,000 colonies in a fewyears. Then fruits and vegetables can be grown on a large-scale.
