Quarantine

Kangaroo Island Biosecurity for Ligurian Bees

In 1884 Ligurian Bees were introduced to Kangaroo Island to protect their genetic integrity. The government supported this action by passing legistration to proclaim Kangaroo Island a Ligurian Bee Sanctuary in 1885. Thanks to this wonderful foresight Kangaroo Island now has the only known colony of pure Ligurian bees left in the world. This legislation is thought to be “the first legislation ever passed by a world government” to protect anything of nature.

Fortunately our isolation, to date, has kept our bees relatively disease free, but with the growing visitations to K.I. our present healthy bee status is very critical and being threatened daily. Throughout the world there are many diseases and bee parasites putting apiary and pollination services at serious risk by destroying their hives. It is of great importance to the world to protect Kangaroo Island’s Pure Ligurian bees as there are very few relatively disease free places left in the world where healthy queen bees can be bred and exported to worldwide countries to help maintain their hives and pollination programs. Without honey bees many food crops fail to pollinate with disastrous effects on our food chain. If bees are not protected and become extinct the world will starve.

To help us protect our healthy pure Ligurian bee colony it has been made an offence to bring bees, honey and used bee equipment to Kangaroo Island.

Penalties of up to $10,000 apply as per 1997 SA Livestock Act.

Our forebears had enough foresight to protect Ligurian bees for us and we should be looking a hundred years or more ahead and protect our bees for our future generations food supply. To ensure their continued purity and healthy status it is essential that we immediately organize constant and permanent monitoring, prominent signage, and ticketing advice with all tourist agencies to ensure there are no violations of our quarantine regulations.

News Update: Honeybee Industry welcomes biosecurity action - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)