The recent arson attack on 28 beehives in Gozo was just one of a series of targeted attacks on honeybees, according to the Malta Beekeepers’ Association, which has called for increased protection and support.
“It is very worrying that this is not the first case of direct attacks on honeybee colonies. There was a recent one in Għar Lapsi and countless others before that. It seems there is still not enough protection for those who suffer similar damages,” the association said.
The reason for these attacks is not clear. People working within the industry suspect they may either be the result of competitor rivalry, or the work of people who do not want honeybees around – either for the unfounded fear of being stung or in protest to the use of agricultural land by apiaries.
The former is also one of the theories of beekeeper Ermanno De Chino, whose hives were destroyed in the recent arson attack in Xewkija. Police said they are investigating but sources said there are no suspects or leads so far.
'This was not an accident'
“This was not an accident,” said De Chino whose hives were also burnt to the ground in 2016. A year before that, the Sicilian beekeeper, owner of Melita Bees, had reported the theft of over 20 bee colonies.
For the past seven years he has been accused of posing a threat to the Maltese honeybee because of the nature of his business – he breeds queen bees using imported bees. But De Chino argues that Maltese beekeepers have been importing queen bees, from countries like France, for over 20 years, way before he came to Malta in 2015.
“We have also been accused of peddling foreign honey as Maltese honey, when the exact opposite is true: most of the honey on sale in Malta is a blend of EU and non-EU honeys,” he said, denying claims which he believes stem from a “disinformation campaign promoted by some jealous beekeepers”.
Many possible sources of rivalry
Sources from within the sector said there were various sources of rivalry within the beekeeping world. While noting that most beekeepers went about their business without disturbing anyone, there were fears about the genetic contamination of the Maltese honeybee from alien species.
Apart from that, the sources said, there was competition in exporting queen bees as well as heated issues surrounding the origin and legitimacy of honey sold as pure Maltese honey.
Problems sparked by pesticides, lack of foraging areas and buildings
Meanwhile, the Malta Beekeepers’ Association came out in defence of local beekeepers.
“It is unfair to see comments coming from a business company targeted to taint the integrity of other local beekeepers. Vandal attacks are always condemned by the association and we will insist on our plea for beekeepers to be appropriately respected and treated on a level playing field with others practicing other agricultural activities when they suffer damage caused by vandalism and storms.”
The association stressed that all beekeepers – big and small – should be offered support. The honey being produced by Maltese beekeepers may be limited, but is of very high quality and unique.
Some 1.5 million bees were burned alive in what appears to be an arson attack at an apiary in Gozo.The importance of bees
There are over 4,000 registered honeybee colonies in Malta, the highest number per square kilometre in Europe. While bees in general are not facing extinction, the endemic subspecies of the Maltese honeybee (Apis mellifera ruttneri) is threatened by loss of natural habitats and bad agricultural practices, including misuse of pesticides. But the main reason comes from genetic mixing with non-native bees, he said.
Beekeeper Mario Sant said he believed all bees faced problems sparked by pesticides, lack of foraging areas and buildings. But the honeybee faced an additional threat from alien species.
“What many don’t realise is that bees mate in flight, so a beekeeper has no control over which species a bee is mating with and this may impact the purity of the species.”
Climate change is impacting bees as proven by this year’s honey yield, that was only 20% that of previous years.
He stressed the importance of safeguarding bees, more so the protected honeybee.
Of the 100 crop species that supply 90 per cent of the world’s food, bees pollinate more than 75 per cent.
Martin Galea De Giovanni, from environmental NGO Friends of the Earth said there are over 100 different bee species in Malta and many of them are in decline.
He added that FOE has an ongoing petition, Save Bees and Farmers, calling on the European Commission to phase out synthetic pesticides by 2035, restore biodiversity and support farmers in the transition. It aims to reach one million signatures by September 30, with almost 800,000 signatures collected so far.