Proposals announced to protect honey bees

Apr 11 2008 The Journal

PROPOSALS to protect honey bees in England and Wales have been announced by the Government.

Numbers have been falling for several years and the measures aim to make sure a healthy population is sustained long-term to ensure plant pollination as well as honey production.

But the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Welsh Assembly Government proposals have already faced criticism from the British Beekeepers Association which said it had “no confidence” that enough extra funding would be provided.

The consultation document said action was needed to minimise the risk from pests and disease by identifying and acting upon threats.

It also suggested beekeepers could be offered training and exams to improve their skills.

Beekeepers would also be encouraged to register on the voluntary database BeeBase so they can be more easily informed.

There are between 200-300 commercial beekeepers in the UK and around 44,000 who keep bees purely as a hobby.

The BBKA welcomed the report but added that “there are substantial shortcomings and omissions in the strategy”.

It wants more research to understand the problems and to find solutions to the diseases.