The Beehive needs to pay attention to our beehives

“The Government must intervene to protect New Zealand honeybees from pesticides that have been implicated in bee deaths,” Green Party food spokesperson Sue Kedgley said today.

The Green Party today launched a nationwide petition calling on the Government to suspend the use of Neonicotinoid pesticides until ERMA has reassessed them. Neonicotinoid pesticides which have been linked to bee deaths around the globe are widely used in New Zealand on crops and pasture.

“Neonicitonoid pesticides attack the central nervous system of bees,” said Ms Kedgley.

“These insecticides can be found in the pollen and nectar of plants that have been sprayed or treated. Bees absorb the pollen and carry traces of the insecticide back to their hives.

“Research has found that the insecticides weaken bees immune systems and make honeybees far more susceptible to disease, even at tiny doses.

“This is bad news for bees throughout New Zealand as they are already in a fragile state due to the Varroa mite and the parasite, Nosema.”

Ms Kedgley called on the Government to develop a Healthy Bees Strategy to protect and improve the health of honeybees and wild bees, and prevent similar bee losses in New Zealand. Ms Kedgley also stressed the need to begin annual surveys of our bee populations to assess whether they are declining.

“We are also calling on the Government to stop the importation of honey and other bee products that could introduce further bee diseases into New Zealand,” said Ms Kedgley.

“Bees are essential for our ecology, our food security and our economy, and if we act now, we can protect our bees,” said Ms Kedgley.

Note: Sue Kedgley will also be at the launch of a major documentary – the Queen of the Sun – about the worldwide decline of bees. Queen of the Sun is on at Wellington’s Paramount Theatre this evening at 630pm.
http://www.queenofthesun.com/

Link to the Green Party bee petition:
http://www.greens.org.nz/petitions/petition-save-bees

ENDS

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