As busy as a bee

Good evening ladies and gentlemen.

You will have to forgive me tonight. I have been a bit like a bee, buzzing from Hawke's Bay this morning to Wellington and around the Beehive. To top it off, I have managed to squeeze two functions into my diary tonight and I am the host of both!

But I am delighted to be here launching New Zealand's first Bee Week, from a most appropriate place, the Beehive.

I would like to thank Frans Laas and Jim and Pam Edwards of the National Beekeepers' Association for their work organising Bee Week. Organics Aotearoa, Horticulture New Zealand and Plant and Food Research have also all generously supported Bee Week.

I support Bee Week because the bee industry needs to take every opportunity to remind New Zealanders of its importance.

Its biggest challenge is getting those outside the industry to realise how essential bees are to food production in New Zealand.

Although most vegetable growers do not directly rely on bees for pollination of their crops, they are dependent on bee pollination for seeds, as is the pastoral sector for clover and pasture.

Beekeepers have a long history in this country, and have faced many daunting challenges.

The most recent challenge has been varroa. It has been here for a decade, and is currently spreading through my home province of Canterbury.

I have also unfortunately learnt today that varroa has been confirmed in Greymouth. This will be sobering news for all West Coast beekeepers.

For the first time since their introduction in 1839, the continued existence of bees in New Zealand is now heavily dependent on human intervention.

As the beekeepers in Canterbury are now learning, an unmanaged hive quickly becomes a dead hive.

Varroa is only one of many serious threats to bees. Thankfully, because of our isolation New Zealand tends not to have many of the diseases that exist in other places around the world such as Colony Collapse Disorder.

It is a fine balance that must be maintained between biosecurity and trade.

As trade of both people and goods into New Zealand inevitably increases, there comes risk.

But New Zealand is absolutely reliant on a free and open trading environment.

I was chairman of the Select Committee that reviewed the conditions for importing honey. At our recommendation this resulted in the establishment of an independent panel to review MAF's decisions on these matters to ensure it was not both judge and jury. I am confident we now have the balance right.

Any decision on any import must be based on science. We demand this of other nations as we battle for entry of New Zealand products. We must do the same for imports.

As the Minister for Biosecurity, one of my priorities is to ensure there is a sense of urgency to all biosecurity incursion responses.

You didn't receive this with varroa.

This is the message I took to MAF at the first possible opportunity in my role as Minister.

The bee industry has told me they are under-funded. All of you will be aware of the grim global economy and the position this leaves the Government in. I will be frank. I can't promise any big new injections of government money.

But there are avenues of funding, considered on a contestable basis through the Sustainable Farming Fund. My advice to you is to unite with other industry bodies, such as Horticulture New Zealand, and state your case for well-reasoned research projects to assist your industry.

As I said at the beginning of my speech, the biggest challenge facing the bee sector is getting those outside the industry to realise its value.

Bee Week is a chance for the industry to work on awareness and building relationships with other sectors that need you.

I am sure Bee Week will bring some much-deserved attention to the hard-working honey bee. Thank you