Colombia proposes new rules to protect native stingless bees

The Ministerio de Ambiente in Colombia published a draft resolution to regulate meliponiculture, the practice of managing native stingless bees.

The proposal aims to establish a simplified and free process for people to register existing and new bee-keeping sites. This new framework will provide operators with a unique identification number and a management book to track and quantify bee populations.

The ministry says these regulations will provide legal security for keepers and prevent harmful practices like cutting down trees to extract bees or moving them to locations where they cannot survive. The rules also prohibit the use of agrochemicals near the hives. Minister of Ambiente Fabio Arjona stated that while Colombia has rules for European Apis bees, it lacked specific regulations for native melipona bees, which are vital for pollination in the Amazon rainforest.

The government expects the move to strengthen the regional bioeconomy by creating new income sources from products like honey, pollen, and wax. Julie Hernández of Amazonía Emprende noted that previous requirements were so difficult that no commercial permits had been granted since 2018. Under the new proposal, keepers can seek permits directly from local environmental authorities. Rosa Vásquez of the NGO Amazon Research Internacional noted that these bees pollinate more than 80% of the Amazon.

These insects help improve soil quality and help ecosystems recover from the effects of climate change.