The University of Greenwich has launched a new research programme to review the legal framework relating to bee conservation and biosecurity across the UK in a bid to protect these valuable crop pollinators.
“There is no legal requirement to register as a beekeeper in the UK but we know that more than 17,000 people have registered voluntarily with the
British Beekeepers’ Association,” said Greenwich law lecturer Dr Opi Outhwaite, who is leading the research. “Bee colonies across the world have been declining as a result of a combination of problems including pests and diseases such as varroa, foul brood and small-hive beetle…Part of my research will include reviewing the laws and procedures governing the import of bees into the UK through the European Union and beyond, as well as the movement of bees across England and Wales.”
Outhwaite will be looking closely at the statutory regulations around hive inspections and the reporting of bee and hive pests and diseases, including
the procedures and obligations for beekeepers to report diseases within their own colonies.
Initial findings will be ready in September and Outhwaite will make her research available to the national bee unit at the Food & Environment Research Agency (FERA).
