Beekeepers are calling for a national standstill of hives after a shock move by NSW DPI Biosecurity to allow commercial apiarists to migrate to the NSW almonds with potentially varroa infected hives.
This just a day after Victorian DPI announced no NSW hives were allowed into Victoria.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CgB04BqpxJs/?igshid=NmZiMzY2Mjc=
A brief relief for Victoria looks like being a loss for the nation. One reason New Zealand lost their battle with Varroa because they failed to ban migratory beekeeping.
The decision to allow NSW movement is inconsistent with a previously cautious approach which makes it seem the billon dollar almond industry may have pressured the NSW DPI in making the hasty decision. It does not make sense to kill hives in one area and let Varroa lose in another.
Dpi nsw explains
“The fastest way to spread Varroa mite is by people moving honeybees, hives and apiary equipment between apiary sites.
That's why we put movement restrictions in place as soon as the first mites were detected and confirmed.
Now that we've confirmed multiple infested sites the priority is to establish the outer limits of the affected areas through targeted surveillance.”
Beekeepers in the red zones are at breaking point
“Why are they killing my healthy hives while spreading Varroa around the state “
“7000 square kilometres of poisoned eradication zones, bee free for 3years, DPI is still finding new zones and they give the green light to the almonds... what a punch in the guts! — feeling broken.” Nathan
Unfortunately at this stage the outer limits of Varroa has not been found.
Beekeepers are calling for the federal government to intervene and for Savethebeesaustralia to attempt to run a federal court injunction to keep hives in NSW stationary for at-least January 2023 in the hope to contain the spread of the mite.
This is expressed in a letter to Tanya Plebisak
https://www.facebook.com/1485185251762708/posts/3261308180817064/?d=n
Barry Roberts who runs Australia’s largest beekeeping group backyard beekeeping Australia explains
“if the NSW hives are allowed to be positioned on the north banks of the Murray River (NSW), then the NSW bees can fly 10km south into Victoria, possibly infecting Victorian hives.
Any feral hives in Victoria within 10 km of the Murray River can get infected and become an ongoing source for infestation once more Victorian hives move back into that zone for pollination services or to harvest River Red gum honey.
If NSW allows their potentially infected hives onto the banks of the Murray, Victoria should create a 20km no go zone south of the Murray until enough sentinel hives in the area enable the area to be declared varroa free.”
The GoFundMe set up by the Savethebees community may be our only chance to force an appropriate standstill in NSW giving us a chance to keep Australia Varroa free.