NIHBS and other Irish beekeeping groups seek to ban the importation of non-native honey bee to the Ireland.
This ground breaking Act aims to reducing the threat to and adverse impact upon biodiversity and the ecosystem arising from the introgression of the native Irish Honey Bee Apis mellifera mellifera with imported non-native honey bee species or sub-species, or strains.
This bill seeks to put into law the wishes of the vast majority of Irish beekeepers who do not want to see the extinction through hybridisation of Ireland’s native honey bee, which is a valuable part of their natural heritage and biodiversity. They trust that their legislators will now ensure that there will be a legal means of protecting and conserving this precious honey bee, before it is too late.
NIHBS are extremely grateful to Senator Martin, the Climate Bar Association and Professor Grace McCormack of NUIG for all their help.
All the major beekeeping organisations in Ireland have already signed up to a Statement Against Imports of non-native honey bees.
This bill was brought to the Irish Parliament today (Wednesday Oct 20, 2021). We wish NIHBS Native Irish Honeybee Society, and the Irish bee groups both sides of the border, every success in preserving their dark native bees.
“Ireland is fortunate to have a pure population of its own native Irish honey bees which is perfectly adapted to this island, this climate and this flora,” said the Senator prior to the Bill’s introduction.
“This Bill provides for the prohibition of the importation of non-native honey bees as the native Irish honey bees are threatened with extinction by hybridisation due to the continued, increasing, and unnecessary imports of non-native honey bees,” he said.”