BY DAKOTA TAIT
The Agriculture Minister has announced big changes for commercial beekeepers, allowing them to apply for permits to move their hives for the purpose of pollination and honey production.
The permit system will go live on Wednesday, but beekeepers will need to complete a short online course through Tocal College to be eligible.
Hives located inside the current emergency zones also can't be moved.
Highland Honey's Roger Easton at Fennell Bay says the Government is between a rock and a hard place.
"I don't think they're giving up," he said. "I think they've come to the realisation that pollination is extremely important."
"The almond industry is an $18 billion industry and half the bees for pollinating the almonds, which are down around Mildura, would be New South Wales bees."
It comes as the Department of Primary Industries says it's scaling back the euthanisation program of bees across the Hunter, arguing it will assess the situation to identify priorities.
Much of the Hunter is included in the eradication zones, where all bees must be destroyed.
It's prompted some concern among beekeepers, the Department has given up on containing and eradicating the mite, especially as the region nears warmer weather and bees swarm and travel longer distances.
Mr Easton says it's a tough call for the Government, but the focus should be on dealing with wild populations.
"If varroa gets into a feral bee colony, it won't kill that feral bee colony," he said. "Mother Nature's golden rule is that parasites do not kill their hosts, because if they kill their hosts, then that's going to kill them as well."
"If varroa gets into a feral bee colony, it will live in that feral colony and will try and infect as many hives around there as it possibly can."
