Clare beekeepers are urging the Government to protect food production and implement a new strategy to preserve Irish honey bees.
It comes amid growing concerns that the arrival of invasive species, in tandem with parasites, will decimate native hives.
Alarm bells were first sounded last March, with Scientists at the University of Galway warning that the indigenous species was at grave risk of extinction.
The Irish Honey bee has a genetic makeup unique to Ireland, having evolved to cope with our cool and damp climate.
They’re now facing a number of threats, however, from the arrival of the Asian Hornet to Ireland last year and from mites that have settled here since the early 90s.
Clare Heritage and Biodiversity Forum Member, Councillor Clare-Colleran Molloy says a protection strategy is urgently needed.
Approximately one-third of the global food supply relies on bees for pollination, however Irish beekeepers are now reporting record high mortality rates within their own hives.
While a rate of 15 to 20% is considered normal, many Irish beekeepers reported losses as high as 60% last year.
Local Bee Keeping Hobbyist Ken O’Malley insists the Government needs to treat the issue seriously.
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