A petition organised by Community Voice Australia – Central Coast (CVA-CC) and Save the Bees Australia has been tabled in State Parliament.
The petition, Stop the Poisoning of Australian Native Bees, calls for the immediate halting and removal of Fipronil baiting in NSW Red Zones and a judicial enquiry into the relationship between Government, industry funded lobby groups and organisations representing chemical company interests, who the group believe have authority and sway over Government policies related to bees.
The petition has 34,000 signatories and was tabled in Parliament on the August 1 by MP Emma Hurst of the Animal Justice Party.
Group member Gisella Latilla said the CVA-CC became concerned when it read that the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) was rolling out Fipronil Traps in the Red Zones, which covers the Central Coast.
“We became alarmed when we found that Fipronil is banned in many countries in the EU due to its toxicity,” she said.
“Additionally, we discovered that private bodies working with government represent chemical corporations.”
She said the petition had become even more relevant due to a report released in July.
“A Strategic Review Report of APVMA, which approved Fipronil off label for bait stations, was commissioned at the request of the Federal Agricultural Minister, in response to serious allegations raised during the Senate Estimates.
“The findings are damning and raise concerns that “the APVMA’s approach to regulation, coupled with its engagement with specific stakeholders in certain instances has a high risk of regulatory capture by industry.”
In December last year owners of hives of native stingless bees in Calga, Somersby and Wyong were warned to move their hives to avoid exposure to Fipronil.
Australian Native Bee Association Varroa Response Subcommittee Chair Dr Anne Dollin said the pesticide, being used to eradicate Varroa Mites within the Red Zones in the Central Coast area was highly poisonous.
“As a result, native stingless bees within these areas will be at risk of poisoning for up to three years,” she said.
The Australian Native Bee Association provides detailed information on its website about the Varroa Mite baiting risks, with advice for stingless bee owners.
To read the DPI’s advice for people who keep native stingless bees in the Red Zones, visit: https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/emergencies/biosecurity/current-situation/varroa-mite-emergency-response/wild-european-honey-bee-management.
For further Information or to request help for your stingless bees, email varroa@anba.org.au
Terry Collins
We must save the bees do not destroy we need them we need them to pollinate the trees
When we lose bio-diversity we lose the ability to survive. What future medicines and engineering are we destroying.
we need the bees
Even countries that have the v/mite do not use fibronil to control it. They also have plenty of hives supplying honey that have Not been affected by the V/mite.
The V/mite is not as great a threat as the dept of Primary Industry is pushing. Eg you don’t cut off someones head to save their little toe. That’s what they are doing
Why have they gone overboard with poisons, its not just to control V/mte. They are wiping out our bees and all pollinators.
They must stop the fibronil and be made accountable for what they have done.
leave our bees alone.
We must save our bee population in Australia by avoiding sprays dangerous to bees.