Bikinis in cowshed
OPINION: An animal activist organisation is calling for an investigation into the use of dairy cows in sexuallly explicit content posted on social media and adult entertainment subscription site OnlyFans.
A survey has found beehive losses around the country last year to be 9.78%.
This is low to average when compared to international results. The 2015 survey found hive losses were 10.73%.
Ministry for Primary Industries director spatial, forestry and land management, Oliver Hendrickson, says the 2016 New Zealand Colony Loss and Survival Survey presents a good result for New Zealand’s apiculture industry.
He says it is important to have this evidence in order for MPI to work with beekeepers on initiatives to manage honey bee colony loss over time.
MPI has contracted Landcare Research to annually survey New Zealand's managed honey bee colonies from 2015 to 2017.
"It’s the beekeepers that make this survey so successful", says Landcare Research senior economist Pike Brown.
"Last spring, about 38% of all registered beekeepers, from hobbyists to the industry giants, completed the survey. This amounted to 275,000 hives, so we have some of the best data in the world for monitoring winter colony losses".
"In temperate climates such as New Zealand, some colony loss is expected over winter," says Brown. "Based on beekeepers' reporting, we estimate that colony losses in winter 2016 were 9.8%, which is significantly lower than losses reported in many other countries where similar surveys are undertaken. Our losses in winter 2016 were also similar to our losses in winter 2015", he says.
As in 2015, the commonly reported causes of hive loss in 2016 were colony death (which includes starvation and exposure to environmental toxins), queen problems (such as drone-laying queens), and wasps. Losses to American foulbrood disease, natural disasters, Argentine ants, and theft were less commonly reported, according to Brown.
The survey highlighted other challenges facing beekeepers as well, including competition for apiary sites and lost pollen and nectar sources. MPI is also engaging in a pathogen research programme to complement the survey by determining the prevalence of honey bee diseases and parasites already in New Zealand.
Academic Dr Mike Joy and his employer, Victoria University of Wellington have apologised for his comments suggesting that dairy industry CEOs should be hanged for contributing towards nitrate poisoning of waterways.
Environment Southland's catchment improvement funding is once again available for innovative landowners in need of a boost to get their project going.
The team meeting at the Culverden Hotel was relaxed and open, despite being in the middle of calving when stress levels are at peak levels, especially in bitterly cold and wet conditions like today.
A comment by outspoken academic Dr Mike Joy suggesting that dairy industry leaders should be hanged for nitrate contamination of drinking/groundwater has enraged farmers.
OPINION: The phasing out of copper network from communications is understandable.
Driven by a lifelong passion for animals, Amy Toughey's journey from juggling three jobs with full-time study to working on cutting-edge dairy research trials shows what happens when hard work meets opportunity - and she's only just getting started.