New Zealand Tries Varroa Eradication

The New Zealand government appears edging towards a decision to fund a program to eradicate the varroa mite outbreak in South Auckland. A National Beekeepers' Association delegation met Acting Prime Minister Jim Anderton to lobby for funding for an eradication program. No country invaded by the mite has been able to eradicate it, but Agriculture Minister Jim Sutton said "if anyone's going to be successful we are the people to do it." He said the expected cost of more than NZ$1 million could be "fairly and affordably" apportioned between the government and industry. "If we have a chance it will be our only chance and we should grab it," Sutton said. Association spokesman Don Bell said beekeepers were delivering the message that the mite threatened not only them but the country's multi-billion-dollar, dairy, meat and horticultural industries. Association president Terry Gavin said eradication would involve the depopulation of all hives in the infected area plus the destruction of feral honey bee colonies. "Although this may seem to be a huge and expensive task, the industry group feels that at this early stage in the outbreak, New Zealand has a window of opportunity to destroy the mite. "The ongoing cost of control and containment if the mite was to become endemic must far outweigh the cost of a short to medium term eradication program. "All of New Zealand's primary sectors and the national economy will be dramatically affected by a decline in bee numbers that varroa mite will cause if it is allowed to become endemic. It is in the best interests of all for New Zealand to move towards the control and eradication of this noxious pest." Meantime, Sutton said the mite probably arrived in New Zealand - which has had a 40-year ban on bee imports - through the mail. "By far the most likely way this parasite would have been introduced was by deliberate introduction of queen bees by a beekeeper, smuggled in probably by the post," he said. "In the face of that, I don't think there is anything that could be effectively done to stop this. "People should thank their lucky stars that we are one of the few countries in the world that has an organization like MAF (Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries) that is capable of tackling an animal health emergency like this with some chance of success." Failure of an eradication program would leave Australia as the only major beekeeping country without the varroa mite. Meantime, the ministry said the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has approved in principle the resumption of the importation of New Zealand honeybees and said it aims to have a resumption of trade within two or three days. A spokesman said permits would have to be reissued to meet Canadian requirements which include certification that bees being exported do not originate from hives infested with the varroa mite. The ministry said it will contact people with a Canadian import permit over the next day or so to ensure they are aware of the revised conditions to be met for the resumption of this trade. Six new varroa-infected locations have been identified, taking the total to 70. Submitted by Alan Harman