Guest Article – Consolidating Efforts for Native Honey Bee Conservation in Europe

We’re pleased to share this guest perspective from Dylan Farrugia and Abner Joe Buttigieg, founders and administrators of the Foundation for the Conservation of the Maltese Honey Bee (KNM). Their piece charts how efforts to safeguard native honey bee subspecies are coalescing across Europe, from UK debates on import restrictions, to NIHBS-led best practice in Ireland (legal protections, queen-rearing of pure native stock, and designated conservation areas). They also highlight Malta’s milestone recognition of Apis mellifera ruttneri as the National Insect and outline KNM’s next step: a science-based, community-driven Action Plan now open for public input. The article concludes with reflections from the recent SICAMM Conference in Norway and a call for coordinated, cross-border stewardship of our native bees.

Protecting our Native Honey Bees: A Consolidating International Movement

Authors: Dylan Farrugia & Abner Joe Buttigieg.

Founders and Administrators of the Foundation for the Conservation of the Maltese Honey Bee (KNM)

Across Europe, the momentum behind protecting native honey bee subspecies is growing. What once felt like isolated efforts are now gradually forming a unified, international movement and our Foundation in Malta is proud to be part of it.

In the United Kingdom, a recent petition has called for an end to honey bee imports into Great Britain from the EU via Northern Ireland. For us in Malta, this issue strikes particularly close to home. This is since the UK is one of the markets to which commercial queen-rearing operations in Malta export their queens to. The knowledge that such practices contributing to irreversible genetic erosion, not only are threatening the sustainability of Malta’s own apicultural sector but also impacting apiculture and biodiversity beyond our shores, is a sobering and deeply troubling realisation.

Ireland and NIHBS’ efforts have emerged as an exemplary model on native honey bee conservation in recent years, and has been at the forefront ever since. A pivotal milestone is the Protection of the Native Irish Honey Bee Bill, which seeks to legally prohibit the importation of non-native honey bee subspecies and hybrids. Complementing this legal framework is the NIHBS’ Queen Rearing Group Scheme, a collaborative initiative that is supporting beekeepers in breeding and rearing queens of pure native stock. This scheme is not only strengthening the population of genetically authentic bees but also fosters knowledge-sharing, best practices, and a sense of stewardship among Irish beekeepers. The establishment of designated Conservation Areas, where native bee populations are actively monitored and protected from genetic contamination and environmental pressures is another notable effort.

In Malta, the Foundation’s efforts bore their first fruits in September 2024, when the endemic Apis mellifera ruttneri was officially declared Malta’s National Insect, after a successful campaign. Yet symbolic recognition alone is not enough. That’s why the Foundation now launched a process to formulise a concrete Action Plan for the Conservation of the National Insect. This will be a science-based, community-driven strategy to ensure the long-term survival of Malta’s native honey bee. The first phase during which the Foundation is collecting public feedback on the objectives set for the action plan is already in full swing.

In our closing remark, we would like to reflect on our experience at the SICAMM Conference in Norway a few months ago. It was a truly enriching opportunity to connect with so many dedicated NIHBS members. Your passion, unwavering commitment, and coordinated efforts to protect the native Irish honey bee were not only inspiring but have significantly energised our own conservation work here in Malta.