13 May 2008
New South Island Controlled Area for varroa bee mite
MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) has established a new South Island Controlled Area to protect beekeeping operations
in the West Coast, Canterbury and areas further south, from varroa which was found at St Arnaud, outside the previous
South Island Controlled Area, three weeks’ ago.
The new South Island Controlled Area comes into force at 4pm today, Tuesday 13 May, and covers the northern part of
Westland; Grey, Buller; Tasman; Nelson; Marlborough; and part of north Canterbury.
“This is an interim measure and stakeholders will be consulted during May and June regarding the future of this
Controlled Area,” said MAFBNZ Incursion Response Manager, Richard Norman.
“Letters have been sent to all registered South Island beekeepers advising them of the change. The Controlled Area
Notice and map was published in the New Zealand Gazette on Thursday 8 May and was published in the public notice
sections of the Nelson Mail, The Press, and the Otago Daily Times on Saturday 10 May 2008. Information is also available
on the MAFBNZ website www.biosecurity.govt.nz. Beekeepers directly affected by the new South Island Controlled Area are
being contacted individually.”
Richard Norman said MAFBNZ assessed several alternative movement control lines.
“The southern boundary of the new South Island Controlled Area was selected on the following grounds:
• because varroa could have spread more widely than testing has demonstrated;
• to minimise the number and scale of beekeeping operations that would be split by the boundary, reducing the risk of
spread;
• to minimse disruption to beekeeping businesses;
• to allow surveillance to support the new boundary, working around accredited organic operations that don’t use the
standard miticides for testing;
• consideration of geography, roads and industry practice.”
Beekeepers in and close to the South Island Controlled Area are urged to regularly test their own hives for varroa mites
on bees or in brood. Beekeepers detecting varroa in their hives should report the find to MAFBNZ via the 0800 80 99 66
free phone number.
ENDS