AMTA responded this week to overseas news reports in local newspaper that mobile phones, among other sources, were causing birds and bees to lose their bearings, fail to reproduce and die.

AMTA Chief Executive Officer, Chris Althaus, wrote a letter that was published in the Canberra Times to refute these allegations.

Contrary to claims in a today’s page seven article (Electro-smog zaps bees 8 Sept), there is no credible scientific evidence mobile phones or base stations damage the environment, including bees.

Any suggestion that mobile phones or base stations cause Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is not the view of the relevant authorities.

The World Health Organisation’s fact sheet on the effect of EMF on the environment concludes:

The limited number of published studies addressing the risk of EMF to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems show little or no evidence of a significant environmental impact, except for some effects near very strong sources. From current information the exposure limits in the ICNIRP guidelines for protection of human health are also protective of the environment.

The American Mid Atlantic Apiculture Research and Extension Consortium say mobile phones and base stations are not currently being investigated as a cause of declining bee numbers:

Radiation transmitted by cell towers: The distribution of both affected and non-affected CCD apiaries does not make this a likely cause. Also cell phone service is not available in some areas where affected commercial apiaries are located in the west. For this reason, it is currently not a top priority.

Scientific research on the cause of the decline in bee populations is focused on pesticides, mites and parasites, which have been known to affect bee behaviour for more than 20 years.

Mobile phones and their base stations are operated at very low-power levels and are designed, built and tested to comply with strict science-based safety guidelines.