Switching tactics from eradication to "managing" the varroa bee mite threat to Australia's honey producers was described by the ACT's Environment Minister as a sobering reminder of the relentless march of invasive species across Australia.
Backing the position of the national Greens in a statement issued on Thursday, ACT Environment Minister and Greens member Rebecca Vassarotti said the modification of the $132 million varroa mite eradication plan was "yet another sobering reminder of the ongoing extinction crisis taking hold across our nation."
Some 30,000 bee hives have been euthanised since the first outbreak of the mite was detected in mid-2022 around Newcastle. There are no known varroa outbreaks in the ACT.
However, the rapid spread of the mite over 15 months, together with non-compliance on control measures by some beekeepers, has led to a tipping point in the biosecurity management of the threat.
An interim strategy is being developed, together with a revised response plan.
The parasitic varroa mite attaches to bees and weakens them, feeds on the bee's haemolymph (the bee's equivalent to blood), exposing them to more viruses, and is passed down through the hive.
The mites can spread long distances on clothes, equipment, vehicles and through the transport of infected hives.
Until last year, Australia had been the only major honey-producing country in the world to remain free of varroa mite.
The NSW Department of Primary Industries announced this week that the transition to managing the mite, rather than eliminating it, "will take time". Two specific zones have now been defined: management zones and suppression zones.
A NSW government emergency order was gazetted on Wednesday which allows authorised officers to euthanise hives, and describes the strict compliance requirements for beekeepers within the management zones.
"Varroa mite is the biggest biosecurity threat to Australian honey and honeybee pollination in a generation," Ms Vassarotti said.
"The ACT has supported a national decision to transition from aiming for the eradication of varroa mite to ongoing management.
"It is no longer technically feasible to eradicate the parasite.
"This decision has been made to slow the spread, build industry resilience to the parasite, and provide options for ongoing management."
