| New Zealand has yet to make the tough choice - eradicate...or control. |
| July, 2000 by Alan Harman WELLINGTON - The New Zealand government put off a decision on whether it will fund a varroa mite eradication program. After a meeting of the cabinet, Prime Minister Helen Clark said a decision was not needed that day. "We are taking time this week to get final briefings from officials before taking that decision." Cabinet ministers said they wanted more information before deciding whether to attempt eradication. "Specific questions have been raised about the feasibility of removing infected feral bees," they said. "This is crucial to the success of eradication. "The chances of successful eradication appear slim. But we have agreed to explore a suggestion for further research into the feasibility of eradicating feral bee colonies." A decision will be taken at a special cabinet committee meeting next Wednesday (July 12). Beekeepers are pressuring the government for an eradication program after a feasibility study said this was theoretically possible at a cost of NZ$55 million. The other option before cabinet is a control program - a route the beekeepers said will fail with in one or two years and still cost millions of dollars every year. "The National Beekeepers Association is urging cabinet to back eradication when it meets on Monday," association president Terry Gavin said. "The overwhelming majority opinion of beekeepers is strong support for eradicating the varroa mite." Gavin said many beekeepers would go out of business if the mite stays. "Their businesses are in real peril if the government calls it wrong," he said. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Kim Flottum Editor, Bee Culture Magazine http://www.airoot.com/beeculture/index.htm |