News today that the National Management Group on the Varroa Mite has decided to cease efforts to eradicate the invasive pest will come as bittersweet news to many agriculturalists and bee keepers in NSW and Australia as the States and Federal Government move to a management program.
Greens MP and spokesperson for agriculture Sue Higginson said "The decision by the Varroa Mite management group today would not have been easy to make and is the final line in a story of the NSW Nationals and their failure to exercise their biosecurity responsibilities when they were in Government,"
"The failure by the NSW Nationals to protect Australia's borders against this invasive and destructive species has already led to the destruction of more than 30,000 beehives and potentially up to $19 million in compensation claims from affected businesses,"
"It will be a small and bittersweet relief to the many hobbyist and commercial beekeepers that have contacted me since the mite evaded detection by the Department of Primary Industries last year, who were desperate to protect their bees from eradication. They will now have to live with the permanent consequences of the Varroa Mite,"
"When it comes to invasive species, we often just get one chance to stop them and the poor investment in biosecurity by the former Coalition Government at the Port of Newcastle now means that many more thousands of beehives will become infected with the Varroa Mite. This will reduce agricultural output, make basic foods more expensive during a cost of living crisis and, most significantly, destroy many wild hives that serve as pollinators for native plant species," Ms Higginson said.
