A Call to Protect Beehives at The Beehive

29 March 2011

A Call to Protect Beehives at The Beehive

Green Party food spokesperson Sue Kedgley, accompanied by beekeepers from Johnsonville, met with the press today on the steps of Parliament to discuss the launching of a nationwide petition that requests an end to the usage of Neonicotinoid pesticides until their effects are further reviewed. Bee deaths globally have been attributed to the harmful effect these pesticides appear to have on the central nervous system of the insect.

A bee demise in New Zealand could prove devastating to the country’s economy, she stated, as populations losses would not only affect honey production, but also the enormous fruit sector.

Kedgley urged the Government to act swiftly, reminding New Zealanders that “bees are essential for our ecology, our food security and our economy, and if we act with precaution now, we can protect our bees.”

More information and petition downloads can be obtained at www.greens.org.nz or by emailing safefood[at]greens.org.nz.

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