REACHING the 100-day mark since the detection of Varroa mites in sentinel hives near Newcastle, the NSW Government remains confident the state can become the first jurisdiction in the world to eradicate the mites.
Minister for agriculture Dugald Saunders said the Department of Primary Industries had worked closely with other agencies and the beekeeping industry to contain the spread since the detection.
"Varroa mite is the most serious threat to honey bees globally, and if it was to settle in Australia, not only would it cost the honey industry $70 million a year, but it would also impact the one in three mouthfuls of food we rely on as a direct result of pollination," Mr Saunders said.
"It's been a herculean effort involving 1914 people and 3000 working hours to get us to this point today, and I thank the NSW Apiarists Association, Australian Amateur Beekeepers, the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council and pollination-dependent industries, like the almond industry, have helped to build a united front against this pest," he said.
Martin and Angelica Jackson are beekeepers and owners of Honey Wines Australia, a mead manufacturer business based in Broke in the Lower Hunter.
They have recently lost 90 per cent of their beehives due to the Varroa mite hive cull.
Although highly supporting the necessity for bee euthanisation in Varroa mite red zones, they have some criticisms of the effectiveness of the rollout.
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"Most of my beekeeper friends, myself included, have assumed that by being a registered beekeeper, the team responsible for the euthanisation would already have our details," Mr Jackson said.
"In the middle of October, I worried about why it was taking so long to be contacted and phoned the DPI, who redirected me to the Exotic Plant & Pest Hotline; it was only then did I realised they had no idea our 58 beehives in the Toronto area existed.
"What I can applaud them for is once the Varroa mite emergency response team knew about our hives, they were very fast to organise a group to come and euthanise them (by applying a petrol-soaked cloth and wrapping the hive boxes in plastic film to seal them) They worked long into the night, and I thank them for their efforts."
"It's disappointing to see people complaining and petitioning the cull and saying we should sit back and let the mite take over.
"As much as I love the bees, they are an insect and one that only lives for a little over 30 days at the best of times.
"Cutting their lives slightly shorter than usual to save many more is a good thing. I wish those complaining would realise that Biosecurity experts much smarter than them are in charge of making decisions."
Australian Honey Bee Industry Council chairman Steve Targett said the Minister's action to curb the spread of Varroa mites and the DPI has been impressive.
"Potentially, it could have been a national outbreak with only WA and Tasmania a chance of not being impacted," he said.
"I'm confident the NSW DPI has done a great job to contain the mite, and we are on track to eradicate them. Although it's going to be a couple of years before we can be certain," Mr Targett said.
Mr Saunders said the disruptive and difficult incursion has been for many people, and the DPI is doing everything possible to offer support.
"But it is also essential to look at all we have achieved so far," he said.
We went from seeing cases jump by the dozen every week to only having two cases in the past six weeks, which shows we are getting on top of the situation.
"But now is not the time for complacency, and we know the job is not done until we eradicate this pest."
Milestones in the response so far include the following:
- Halting the movement of hives within days of the first detection and taking swift action to euthanise hives at infected premises.
- Rolling out an $18 million compensation package for registered commercial and recreational beekeepers in the eradication (red) zones and extending that package to reimburse those in the surveillance (purple) zones.
- Strong contact tracing work links all confirmed cases to existing cases or by geographical location.
- Comprehensive surveillance around the eradication (red) zone's perimeter, providing a high level of confidence in containment.
- Sampling more than 28,850 hives across the State, with an additional 86,569 sampled by beekeepers.
- Lifting several movement restrictions for low-risk areas in August, allowing beekeepers to work and move hives under a permit system.
- Allowing pollination events in low-risk regions with additional safety requirements in place.
- For more information and the latest updates, visit www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/varroa.
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Simon Chamberlain
I have comprehensive experience in rural and regional journalism, as well as more than six years as a media officer for several politicians and worked in local government. I rejoined The Land in May 2022 and have loved being back in harness, reporting on a massive range of topics.
I have comprehensive experience in rural and regional journalism, as well as more than six years as a media officer for several politicians and worked in local government. I rejoined The Land in May 2022 and have loved being back in harness, reporting on a massive range of topics.
