Date: 24 July 2025
Presenter: Dr Chris Anderson, Deputy Chief Plant Protection Officer, NSW Department of Primary Industries & Regional Development
Summary:
The emergency response to Varroa destructor in Australia was large and complex. It slowed the spread of the pest. It also gave beekeepers and related industries time to adjust to a post-varroa world.
A phase-by-phase review of the response highlights key lessons for biosecurity agencies. These lessons can help improve preparedness and guide future responses to incursions.
This webinar explores those lessons. It looks at how agencies can assess the feasibility of eradication. It also looks at the need to change approach when eradication is no longer an option.
In the varroa response, several factors reduced the feasibility of eradication. These were limits on staff and resources and mixed results that demonstrated low response efficacy. There was also a loss of social licence to operate.
These lessons are critical to assist biosecurity agencies deliver positive biosecurity outcomes.
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