Newfoundland municipalities need to embrace urban bees, beekeeping assoc. say
Beekeepers around the world believe hives in Newfoundland may help the future of the industry, but the local beekeepers association is having a hard time getting the message across to municipalities.
Dan Price, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Beekeeping Association, says most people are aware of the importance of bees to the ecosystem, but only three municipalities officially allow beekeeping within their boundaries.
Price says there are 38 beekeepers scattered across the province and they're concerned they might be evicted.
"One of our longest standing beekeepers in Corner Brook after 25 years incident free got a nervous neighbour and they kicked him out," Price said.
Newfoundland has the last disease-free population of bees in the world because it hasn't been infected by the mites and illnesses that have decimated bees elsewhere.
Price said beekeepers around the world are clambering to buy local hives, but first urban beekeepers must be given the green light to expand into more municipalities.
"In Newfoundland, we have a curious problem of a lack of arable land or agriculturally cleared land and this is the land where bees forage. So people live where the bees need to forage in this province," Price said.