Fifty concerned Central Coast residents gathered on February 18 to protest the use of Fipronil in the battle against the Varroa Mite threat to bees.
Save the Bees Australia founder Simon Mulvany and Jilliby beehive owner Dolfi Benesh outlined how hives are being destroyed by the Department of Primary Industries (DPI).
The Saving Our Native Bees event was organised by Community Voice Central Coast.
Currently the (DPI) is using Fipronil to kill honey bees on the Central Coast, with disturbing implications for native bees, insects, birds and mammals.
The Australian Native Bee Association (ANBA) says the pesticide, which is being used in a baiting program (on feral nests) in the Red Zones, is highly toxic to stingless bees and may remain active within these areas for up to three years.
“Feral European honeybees will collect toxic sugar syrup and take it back to their nests inside hollow trees,” the ANBA says.
“In due course the feral nests will die, leaving substantial stores of honey which will be contaminated with Fipronil inside the trees.
“The Fipronil may continue to remain toxic in these areas for up to three years.
“Unfortunately, native stingless bees and other nectar-feeding insects, reptiles, birds, and mammals may visit dead feral European honeybee nests and collect contaminated honey.
“Some of these native insects and animals may die from Fipronil poisoning.”
A Community Voice Central Coast spokesperson said Fipronil has already been banned in the UK and Europe because it kills bees.
“Yet the Fipronil rollout has been approved by Australia’s national regulator, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) (which receives) funds from Agrichemical companies,” the spokesperson said.
“Australia’s unique bee populations are already under threat from habitat loss, pesticide usage and effects of natural disasters.
“Widespread bee culling practices destroy the livelihoods of our local beekeepers and spell financial ruin for their families.
“Additionally, it has implications for the pollination of crops and backyard farms on the Central Coast and surrounds.
“Native Australian stingless bees are powerful pollinators and have long been referred to as a ‘plan bee’ for crop pollination — a backstop against the loss or decline of European honey bee populations.
“Our bees deserve more than just being killed with poison.”
Community Voice Central Coast and Save The Bees Australia have an active change.org petition, now with more than 15,000 signatures, are asking for the immediate halting and removal of Fipronil baiting in NSW Red Zones.
The petition also calls for a judicial enquiry into the relationship between Government, industry-funded lobby groups, and organisations representing chemical company interests, which have authority and sway over Government policies related to bees.
Anyone concerned can email communityvoicecentralcoast@tutanota.com.
The petition can be accessed at https://www.change.org/p/halt-the-poisoning-of-native-australian-bees-through-fipronil-baiting.
Source:
Media release, Feb 20
Community Voice Central Coast
Don’t destroy small business in Australia we can survive and live with that like the rest of the world stop destroying the hives stop the pesticides
There are fools everywhere who think they know everything about the honey industry
If we don’t get control of this pest we will be like the USA the have given Up on the pest we don’t want it to be the same here
if we can’t stop Varoa there will be much more pesticides in the system than what this baiting program delivers.