Page 1595 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 8 May 2018
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Some experts believe the pesticide Confidor is one of the many possible causes of bee decline and the recent bee malady termed colony collapse disorder. In 2011, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, no single factor alone was responsible for the malady. However, honey bees are thought to possibly be affected by those chemicals existing as residues in the nectar and pollen on which the bees forage. Taking a precautionary approach, the ACT government stopped using Confidor for the treatment of scarab grubs on sports fields and irrigated grass areas more than five years ago in recognition of its potential impact on foraging honey bees. Prior to making this decision more than 300 hectares of sports fields and irrigated grass areas were treated annually with Confidor to limit scarab damage to irrigated grass surfaces.
Our honey bee industry and many of our food crops which rely on honey bees for pollination would be put at risk if the Varroa mite were ever to become established in Australia. Imagine almond trees without nuts or a blueberry bush with no blueberries or a pumpkin vine with no pumpkins. All these crops need pollinators, and bees are one of the most important. The ACT government takes bee biosecurity seriously and is actively involved in helping to protect Australia’s honey bees.
In 2014 the ACT published a code of practice for beekeeping in residential areas in the ACT. The code outlines the responsibilities of people who own, care for or keep honey bees and provides useful information for amateur backyard beekeepers. The government works closely with the ACT Beekeepers Association and the 400-plus registered keepers in the ACT to assist in the management of bees in the ACT and provides the association with funding and facilities at Jerrabomberra wetlands to run training programs for our beekeepers. However, in the event of a serious bee disease outbreak, locating beehives and contacting beekeepers promptly is important. In 2015 mandatory registration of beekeepers was introduced. There is no charge to register and registration can be completed online.
I am also pleased to say that ACT government staff undergo training to help ensure the ACT is well prepared in the case of a serious bee disease outbreak. Only last month ACT government employees and local beekeepers participated in the exercise “Bee prepared”, a biosecurity emergency response exercise. The exercise showed that if we detected Varroa mites in the ACT we would be able to respond very quickly to be able to deal with it.
The ACT government is always on the lookout for opportunities to raise community awareness of the importance of bees and bee biosecurity. In December last year the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring 20 May as World Bee Day. Every year on this day the attention of the global public will be drawn to the importance of preserving bees and other pollinators. People will be reminded of the importance of bees for the entire humanity and will be invited to take concrete action to preserve and protect them.
On 20 May this year the ACT government will be joining with the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia, along with the embassies of Sweden and Switzerland and Parliament House, to launch the first World Bee Day here in Canberra at the Slovenian embassy. Programs such as the sugar shake month, which was promoted by
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