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By Alfred Pagepitu
The presence of Asian honey bees in Western Province has caused concern among local beekeepers like Betty Lingisasa.
The arrival of the Asian giant hornet, also known as the “killer bee,” has dealt a devastating blow to Simbo Island’s long-standing honey production.
It is capable of destroying entire hives, killing adult bees and devouring the honey and larvae.
The 60-year-old father of five from Nusa Simbo Island loved beekeeping, however, his passion might have faded until he joined forces with the Pacific Horticulture and Agriculture Market Access Program (PHAMA Plus) and Gizo Business Women to implement new strategies to combat invasive species.
With community support and the backing of local agricultural experts, the resilient beekeeper is now ready to restart his honey project and bring hope to his island home.
In an interview with SIBC News, Lingisasa recounted his story of losing his honey project, and it was not because of a natural disaster that struck his community.
“We produce hundreds of kilograms of honey every year, enough to supply the local market and even export some.”
“But then these wasps came and destroyed everything. It was like someone had pulled the rug out from under our feet,” Lingisasa said.
Determined to fight back, the Simbo women sought help a week ago from PHAMA Plus, which is supported by the Australian and New Zealand governments, to help the community revive its honey project.
“This year, I would like to thank the Pacific Horticulture and Agriculture Market Access Program (PHAMA Plus) for working with Gizo Business Women to revitalize the honey project in Simbo.”
“I’m very happy about this honey revival project,” he said. The loss is not only financial, it’s also personal for my family. “Beekeeping was more than a job for me, it was my life’s passion,” he said. “It’s heartbreaking to lose it.”
“We believe the Asian honey bees were transported by logging companies. They flew from Ranonga to Simbo, a distance of several kilometres.”
He said another major cause of losses was Varroa mite infestation caused by logging. The parasitic mite weakens the bees and has caused more losses since 2014 than before.
“This incident makes us very sad, but there is nothing we can do.”
“Today, I am very happy about the PHAMA Plus project, a collaborative project aimed at revitalizing the local honey industry in Simbo.”
He recalled the first time he produced honey, which not only he and his family enjoyed, but also most of the people and communities in Simbo who made their living from honey production.
“We have really benefited a lot from the honey project, so when we heard about this project to restore honey, we were all very happy and it is good news for all of us,” he said with a smile. He said that since his family won the project, it has been very helpful to them as they produce a lot of honey and make a living from it.
“During my honey production period, I sold nearly 40 to 50 litres of honey,” Lingisasa recalled. “Since their honey was ruined, he cried because it was only honey that gave him hope and enabled him to cope with most of the financial crises.”
“Our whole family feels sad about the situation but there is nothing we can do. We can only accept the reality and go back to our normal daily routine of fishing and doing market in Gizo.”
“It’s sad because when he compares the honey to other resources they use to make money, Simbo Island is just a volcanic island and they can only survive on fishing, gardening and selling Macropod eggs. But in recent years, these resources have started to decrease due to population growth.”
Now, with the new season approaching, Lingisasa is determined to make a comeback and has been working closely with the local community on a honey cultivation project.
Members of his community will work closely with local agricultural experts to implement new strategies to ward off the Asian invaders, including increased protection of beehives and enhanced pest control measures.
He thanked the Australian and New Zealand governments for funding the project and looked forward to working closely with PHAMA Plus, Gizo Women in Business and the Simbo community.
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