‘Protection of the Native Irish Honeybee 2021’ Bill passes The Second Stage in Seanad

It’s been just over a month since our beautiful Native Irish Honey Bees (apis mellifera mellifera) first arrived at our new Voluntary Conservation Area at our Cloudforest One site in Lahinch, Co. Clare. We are the first private enterprise to undertake the role of a Voluntary Conservation Area & we are very excited to go down to visit them next week and see how they are developing. 

However, the past month has not only been a big month in our Native Honey Bee conservation efforts. It’s been a big month for all of us concerned with the apis mellifera mellifera & its future.

As we reported last week, a new law was proposed to save the Native Irish Honey Bee. The Protection of the Native Irish Honey Bee Bill 2021 (Protection Bill) went through its 2nd stage in the Seanad last Thursday. In an incredible show of support & solidarity with our Native Honey Bee, Dozens of beekeepers demonstrated outside Leinster House today urging politicians to support the Irish Honey Bee Bill. The bill would halt the importation of non-native bees, which endanger an important "genetic resource" not found anywhere else in Europe in large numbers. 

Aoife Nic Giolla Coda of the Native Irish Honey Bee Society said the numbers of non-native bees imported here trebled between 2019 and 2020 alone. "If that trend continues year-on-year this honey bee will become extinct," she said. Luckily, The legislation won cross-party support in the Upper House of the Oireachtas.

Despite some concerns regarding how any legislation may be affected by EU regulation, there is optimism within the Native Irish Honey Bee Society & the BeeKeeper community that these beautiful creatures will soon have the protection of the law to aid their long-term survival.

Find out more about our Conservation efforts here at Cloudforests below: