Today is World Bee Day, and across the Hunter beekeepers are backing calls from New South Wales Labor for a recovery plan to ensure the survival of the beekeeping industry.
New South Wales is the largest honey producing state in Australia, but apiaries are reeling after years of drought, followed by a horror bush fire season.
"A lot of trees didn't flower and produce honey because of the drought, or died. Even though we've had rain, we don't really get the benefits from that for around 6 to 12 months, before trees respond and eventually flower," said Col Wilson, who runs Hunter Valley Apiaries based in Kurri Kurri.
In an added blow, the summer bush fires destroyed native habitats, thousands of hives, and many millions of bees.
"A lot of the burnt timber won't recover, and the places that have been burnt wont be good for 5 to 10 years before they can be useful for the bee keeping industry," said Col Wilson.
Without pollen producing trees such as flowering gums to feed bees, producers in fire-affected areas were given a short-term food source of sugar supplements earlier this year.
"There was a limited amount of it. There's a lot of bee keepers still feeding bees to try and keep them alive," said Col Wilson.
Prior to COVID-19, Shadow Minister for Primary Industries Jenny Aitchison traveled across the state and spoke to many beekeepers about the devastating impacts on the industry, and saw the damage first-hand.
"It's the perfect time for the Berejiklian-Barilaro Government to produce a recovery plan that details how they will help the industry recover both in the short term and long term," said Jenny Aitchison.
“NSW apiarists were given short-term food source of sugar supplements for the bees in the fire-affected areas earlier this year, but they need ongoing support from the Government to ensure not only the bees future, but the sustainability of the many other primary producers in horticulture who are reliant on bee pollination.”
The industry has petitioned the State Government for access to national parks and conservation areas which could serve as alternative sites, until fire-affected land recovers.
However, these areas have previously been off limits to beekeepers, due to concerns about the impact bees could have on native ecosystems.
"With national parks they say because bees weren't native to Australia we do not want you in there. But bees are beneficial to the environment, would they prefer to let the bees die? Is that conservation?" said Col Wilson.
Other suggestions from the industry include an audit of public lands available for beekeepers, waivers on fees for using public land for hives, and more sugar supplement to keep hives in production.
Ongoing support from the Government could ensure not only the bees future, but the sustainability of many primary industries which are reliant on bees for pollination.
"You have farmers who grow crops, and with bees working those crops you get better quality fruit, or in canola crops you get a better quality seed and a higher oil content. But no bees no crop," said Col Wilson.
"The industry has been crying out for assistance, and it is past time that the Government listened to them," said Jenny Aitchison.
"I know commercial beekeepers who've lost 50 per cent of their resources. What they are going to do I don't know. That's why we would like some of this public land to be made available in the short term to keep the industry going," said Col Wilson.
