An $18M compensation package is available for registered beekeepers affected by the deadly varroa mite, including an outbreak detected in Calga.
The mite arrived in Australia via the Port of Newcastle on June 22 and since then 24 locations have been affected including Calga.
Beekeepers in ‘eradication zones’ were instructed to euthanise honeybee colonies and destroy internal hive equipment such as brood and honey frames.
The infected premises identified have resulted in a larger emergency zone, with a 10km inclusion zone around the Calga site, and a 25km surveillance zone with all local beekeepers encouraged to “sugar-shake” their bees to detect varroa infestations.
The emergency map can be located on the Department of Primary Industries website on www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/varroa
Owners of honeybees acquired from within the 50km emergency notification zone of the Port of Newcastle in the past 12 months are being urged to report the honeybees to NSW DPI, while community reporting will facilitate the monitoring of honeybee movements in the rest of NSW.
Gosford MP and amateur beekeeper, Liesl Tesch, said all beekeepers on the Central Coast needed to check their beehives for varroa mites, which look like ticks, as soon as possible and report back to the NSW Department of Primary Industries because of the serious biosecurity breach and outbreak in our community.
The National Management Group (NMG) for Emergency Plant Pests has endorsed a National Response Plan to eradicate Varroa Destructor from NSW.
Federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Murray Watt, said the agreement would see registered commercial beekeepers reimbursed for all equipment, hives and bees that are destroyed in the eradication process.
“We are firmly committed to the national response plan,” he said.
“Varroa mite is the most significant threat to our honey bee and pollination industries and we unanimously agree that it is both technically feasible and economically beneficial to remove it from our shores.”
NSW Agriculture Minister, Dugald Saunders, said eradication was the primary goal, and the NSW Department of Primary Industries’ strong initial response measures and contact tracing work have made this possible.
“We still have an unbroken chain of infected premises and have extensive surveillance operations in place to find and destroy any further cases,” he said.
“I want to thank the entire beekeeping community for their commitment and vigilance during this time.”
Danny Le Feuvre from the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council said it was great to see the recognition from all governments and industries of the importance of the bee industry.
“Industry fully supports the eradication efforts and appreciates the professionalism and commitment of DPI’s incident management team,” he said.
“Agreement to provide reimbursement costs to our members will ensure the success of the eradication program.
The National Management Group also endorsed compensation for licensed recreational beekeepers in recognition of their critical role in the response to this incursion.
The NSW Government is putting on an additional 26 compliance and surveillance officers to manage risk to facilitate key pollination events and ensure business continuity.
Sue Murray
Hi All Bee lovers,
Has anyone been able to train bees? Bees are so disciplined in what they do. If they could be trained to remove the mites from their buddies! Just a thought.