Bushfires and their Impact on the Australian Honey Industry
The Australian Honey Industry
Australian bees and their stewards, the beekeepers, produce some of the world’s best honey.
From delicious honey that comes from bees that feed off the huge variety of eucalyptus trees in Australia, to honeys derived from the widespread non indigenous flora and fauna in Australia and not forgetting the highly potent Australian Manuka Honey variants much of which comes from the pristine Eastern seaboard and plants that grow in the often harsh environments found there.
However, Australia is also well known as a country prone to bush fires and the damage they have done to the environment that beekeepers operate in has, in recent years, been very severe. Eucalyptus trees and much of the flora and fauna that cohabit with them actually regenerate after fire and this means many Australian beekeepers are constantly in a potentially deadly dance with nature.
Australian Bushfire Crisis
In the 2019/2020 bushfire season, record-breaking temperatures and months of severe drought fuelled enormous bushfire destruction, with a significant cost to human life too. There was also considerable destruction to homes, vehicles, farm machinery and other infrastructure. Since then of course the globe has been hit by Covid – 19, which has grabbed media headlines and is proving to be a health crisis without a clear end point.
Sadly though that does not mean that the annual Australian bushfire season will take a break and as the global climate changes (which it undeniably has), the prospect of more droughts, prolonged fire seasons and further damage to the environment that bees operate in will continue to be there.
To put the destruction in context, the 2019/2020 NSW and VIC border fires merged into a megablaze, with an estimated 10 million hectares (100,000 sq. km or 15.6 million acres) of bush, forest and parks across Australia torched, also destroying over 1500 homes.
There are fears entire species may have been lost with 1.25 billion animals having perished and work to try and help animal and species specialists to regain a footing will take many years.
Impacts on the Honey Industry
The Apiarists Association in Australia have advised it will take from three to 20 years to fully recover from hive and flora loss. The coastal Manuka country seems to have been burnt first and will take at least three years to regain itself. Some beekeepers who have a good understanding of their local bush, believe some trees won’t be flowering or producing nectar and pollen for bees, for at least 20 years!
NSW, being the largest honey-producing state in Australia, produces approximately 48% of all Australian Honey. It is believed these fires will lower NSW honey production by about 30% for at least the next 10 years. The fact is, genuine Australian honey is getting harder to source.
Whilst there are around 1,500 commercial beekeepers in Australia, the industry is at risk of losing a good number of them. Some beekeepers estimated a loss of as much as 70% of hives and 90% of their hive sites. The fire damage to beehives on the east coast of Australia is estimated to be in excess of 200,000.
So it’s important we do all we can to support Australian beekeepers and their families and also – if you want to buy 100% Australian Honey, you ensure the authenticity of the honey you choose. Look on the labels. If it says 100% Australian Honey and has the official Australian Government symbols verifying the “100% Australian” content, then you can be reassured. But if it doesn’t then beware. You might be buying honeys blended from, well, who knows where?
Today, the agricultural industry in Australia is estimated to be worth $15 billion annually, with honey making up approximately $120 million of this. Most farmers in Australia are heavily reliant on bees so that their crops can be pollinated. Some crops such as almonds, apples, pears, melons and strawberries are entirely dependent on bees, and as bees disappear the price of fresh fruit and vegetables will skyrocket with estimates being as much as 50% for 2020.
Costs Associated with being a Beekeeper
As our beekeepers slowly rebuild, one of the main costs is replacing hives. The average cost of a hive is approximately $380 dollars. With an estimated 110,000 hives lost in the 2019/2020 season and other damage,the outlay is immense Not only do the beekeepers need to replace hives but then there are other associated labour costs, such as painting boxes, wiring frames and sourcing desperately needed queen bees.
How is AOHC helping
Amongst a range of different measures, AOHC set up a GoFundMe campaign in the 2019/20 fire season, titled ‘Bushfire Destruction – No Bush = NO BEES’ to help support bushfire impacted beekeeping families nationally.
Whilst 100% of the funds will be donated to the cause, below is how some of the funds help assist the beekeeping industry:
• Helping Australian beekeeping families rebuild and re-establish hives and homes.
• Supporting beekeepers with the cost of fuel to transport hives to areas with more nutritional resources for their bees.
• Helping beekeepers seek new areas to house hives whilst bushland recovers.
• Supporing beekeepers with the cost of water to sustain bees.
• Purchasing already made up beehives ‘beehive kits’ in readiness for spring.
But AOHC’s help goes well beyond a GoFundMe campaign. We are constantly talking to beekeepers and their families to stay close to the issues they face. Need more info…please!
