9/10/2023 0 Comments Black bee keepersBeekeepers are therefore critical not only for maintenance of UK honeybee populations, but also in ensuring honeybee management practices do not adversely impact wild pollinators. 2014) and management of honeybee stocking densities in protected areas (Henry and Rodet 2018, 2020). This has led to calls for reduction of managed honeybee colony numbers on farms (Garibaldi et al. There is international scientific consensus that wild pollinators are in decline (IPBES 2016), and growing evidence that large-scale beekeeping operations can result in disease transmission and forage competition between honeybees and wild pollinators (Lindström et al. 2014).Īpis mellifera is one of over 20 000 bee species worldwide (IPBES 2016) and over 250 bee species in the UK (Falk and Lewington 2015). In England and Wales, the number of registered beekeepers has risen from c.16 000 in 2010 to c.42 000 in 2020 (DEFRA & Welsh Government 2020), with beekeepers crucial for the maintenance of UK honeybee populations as colonies are unlikely to survive long term outside managed hives (Thompson et al. 2015), colony losses can be mitigated by beekeepers and recorded honeybee declines are regional but not global (Aizen and Harder 2009). Although honeybees face intense pressures (Goulson et al. 2010), and colony numbers often correlate with political and socioeconomic systems (Moritz and Erler 2016). Changes in honeybee colony density in Europe parallel beekeeper density (Potts et al. 2018) and for crops (Aizen and Harder 2009 Breeze et al. The Western honeybee Apis mellifera is a critical insect pollinator in natural habitats (Hung et al. Q methodology has the potential to facilitate non-hierarchical collaboration and conceptualisation of sustainable beekeeping, moving towards co-production of knowledge to influence policy. Honeybee conservation emerged as a key motivator behind non-conventional practices, but wild pollinator conservation was not prioritised by most beekeepers in practice. Motivations can be shared across perspectives but trade-offs (notably between economic, social responsibility and ideological motivations) result in differing practices, some of which counter ‘official’ UK advice and may have implications for pollinator health and competition. Our Q methodology study in Cornwall, UK, indicated five beekeeping perspectives conventional hobbyists, natural beekeepers, black bee farmers, new-conventional hobbyists and pragmatic bee farmers. UK beekeepers are increasing in number, with diverse management styles despite calls for coordinated practice to manage honeybee health. For policymakers and beekeeping organisations to develop widely accepted strategies to sustain honeybee populations alongside wild pollinators, a structured understanding of beekeeper motivations is essential. Beekeepers are central to pollinator health.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |