States and territories will reopen their borders to bees from most of NSW for the primary time since an outbreak of varroa mite was detected in Newcastle in June final 12 months.
In what has been described as a significant milestone for Aussie beekeepers, the NSW emergency blue zone has been declared freed from the invasive mite.
Red and purple zones stay in place in areas surrounding Newcastle the place beekeepers are nonetheless required to keep up shut surveillance on the well being of their hives and repeatedly report back to authorities.
NSW Agriculture Minister Dugald Saunders mentioned different states will reopen within the coming weeks for the switch of bees and hives from the Blue Zone throughout borders for pollination.
“This is a significant step in the fight to eradicate the mite, and for our beekeepers and pollination-reliant industries that have done it tough over the past seven months,” Mr Saunders mentioned.
“But this is not the time for complacency; now more than ever, we need beekeepers to make sure they continue to do the right thing and maintain their alcohol-wash surveillance so we continue to move in the right direction.”
NSW will work with South Australia, Victoria and Queensland to develop a set of situations governing interstate motion.
Australian Honeybee Industry Council chief government Danny Le Feuvre mentioned the news added to confidence that the eradication of varroa mite in NSW was attainable.
“While the industry will continue to be impacted by the varroa mite’s incursion, endorsement of this paper is a critical step forward in achieving business continuity, as best we can, for the industry,” he mentioned.
In November final 12 months a contemporary outbreak of varroa mite was detected at a property close to Cessnock, prompting an enlargement of the prevailing pink zone, which applies to all hives inside a 10km radius of an contaminated premises.
Those inside the pink zone are required to destroy their hives utterly to cease the unfold of varroa mite.
A purple zone, making use of to hives inside a 15km radius past the pink zone, had been thought of a part of the emergency surveillance zone.
All different elements of the state had been deemed blue zones and had been additionally beneath tight restrictions by way of transporting hives.
NSW has roughly 13,000 registered business and leisure beekeepers.
