Latest news with #ValentineHodges
Belfast Telegraph
20-05-2025
- General
- Belfast Telegraph
More than 20 bee species face extinction in NI as crucial job role remains vacant since last year
That's according to a new report by conservation charity Buglife which highlighted the alarming extent of the problem which has been blamed on the absence of a bee inspectorate in the region. The warning comes on International World Bee Day and follows concerns expressed by the Ulster Beekeepers Association (UBKA) that the vital post has been vacant for too long. The last full-time bee inspector retired at the end of October 2024 and the part-time inspector role has been vacant since December 2024. The Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) insists it 'is responding to recent reductions in inspectorate staff available for bee inspections' and confirmed a recruitment drive is under way. Co Down beekeeper Valentine Hodges — who has between 80 and 100 hives — described the situation as 'critical' and expressed anger and disappointment. 'We now are at a critical stage where, through lack of recruitment we have no bee inspectors,' she said. She added that if diseases are allowed to spread, it could have a domino effect on the food supply.
Agriland
30-04-2025
- Health
- Agriland
Beekeepers call for coordinated all-Ireland bee inspection service
Beekeepers across the island of Ireland have collectively called for the establishment of an all-Ireland coordinated bee inspection service to help regulate the industry and mitigate the risks posed to the existing pollinator population on the island. The call follows confirmation of the recent collapse of the bee inspection service in Northern Ireland, which a spokesperson for the Ulster Beekeepers' Association (UBKA) claimed has contributed to a looming bee health 'crisis' in the country. As it stands, apiculture falls under the remit of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland and the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM) in the Republic of Ireland. According to the UKBA and the Federation of Irish Beekeepers' Associations (FIBKA), there is currently no dedicated professional bee inspector in situ on the island of Ireland, which, in their opinion, poses a 'real threat' to both industry and biodiversity interests. The threat is exacerbated by the proliferation of bee diseases, which can disseminate entire hives if they go undetected, without the necessary implementation of counter biosecurity measures to tackle further spread. UBKA chairperson, Valentine Hodges, outlined the gravity of the situation at hand: 'Bee diseases are a real threat to bees in Northern Ireland and DAERA is required, by law, to operate a bee inspection service to inspect possible outbreaks of diseases such as European Foul Brood, and to take necessary steps to prevent its spread. 'The current crisis has been on the cards for some years, with the UBKA and the Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) warning the government that it's running down of the DAERA Bee inspectorate was unlawful and a threat to both farmers and beekeepers alike. 'Bee diseases pose no risk to public health but represent a very great risk to bees and to agriculture in general, which is highly dependent on bees as pollinators. Simply put, we could lose them all [bees], and very quickly at that.' According to Hodges, the NI bee inspection service has been vacant as of December 2024, due to the respective retirement and death of the last two remaining inspectors. Hodges claimed that even prior to that, the service had long been in decline, with only six inspections said to have taken place in 2024, which is a fraction of the rates observed in previous years. Hodges stated that during a meeting held with the association and government representatives on March 12, 2025, senior DAERA officials allegedly admitted that the department cannot currently meet its statutory responsibilities to provide a competent Bee inspection service. Beekeepers While DAERA has committed to the recruitment of new inspectors in the near future, the UBKA fears that the service will not be up in running until the end of 2025 at the latest. In the meantime, both the UBKA and UFU have pressed the Stormont executive to take emergency actions to seek support from well-established bee inspector services in Scotland and England, to help address the critical absence of services. In relation to the situation in Ireland, FIBKA secretary Ken Norton has attested to the absence of a dedicated DAFM inspector. 'In regards to a bee inspector in DAFM, there is no current one and there has not been one for many many years. A bee inspector is needed both in the north and south. 'With the increase in people taking up beekeeping, many of whom do not undertake a beekeeping training course or join an association, there is the danger that a lot will just follow what they see on YouTube or Facebook, which don't always relate to the situation in Ireland. 'Many will also not be aware if they have American Foulbrood or European Foulbrood, both of which are notifiable diseases, and if detected, require everything to be burnt, including the bees,' Norton explained. Norton also accounted for the ongoing problems relating to the importation of bees into the country, which requires a licence and accreditation from a vet declaring the bees free of disease. The current accreditation process lacks credibility, Norton asserted, due to the absence of trained bee inspectators who are well-informed about apiculture industry. 'When bees arrive in the country, they have to be inspected, but as there is no bee Inspector to do this, someone from DAFM is sent out to check them instead. However, not all of them will know what to look for and many are afraid of bees,' he said. A spokesperson for the Irish Beekeepers' Association (IBA), Colette O'Connell, has expressed further concern over the impending arrival of the Asian Hornet, which preys upon indigenous pollinator species and has already wreaked havoc in Europe. O'Connell told Agriland that beekeeper inspectors in the UK were able to lead the defence against an invasion of Asian Hornets, who had successfully set up nests in the southeast of England. 'Since this threat was recognised, we in the IBA have consistently urged DAFM to take urgent action to ensure the protection of honey bees and other pollinators. 'We continue to advocate for a co-ordinated effective action plan for the whole island. We do this with the wholehearted support of our colleagues in Ulster, the UBKA,' O'Connell asserted.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Inspector absence puts bee population 'under threat'
Northern Ireland's honey bees are "under threat" due to the absence of a bee inspectorate since last year, according to the chair of Ulster Beekeepers Association (UBKA). The bee inspector is responsible for supporting bee health and addresses diseases such as American foulbrood (AFB) and European foulbrood (EFB) which affect honey bees. Valentine Hodges described the situation as "critical", adding that she is angry and disappointed that the post is vacant. The Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) said it "is responding to recent reductions in inspectorate staff available for bee inspections and recruitment competitions are underway". The last full-time bee inspector retired at the end of October 2024 and the part-time inspector role has been vacant since December 2024. Where AFB and EFB occur, the disease control of infected colonies is the responsibility of DAERA and it's inspectors. Although beekeepers must report diseases within their own colonies, bee inspectors confirm such notifiable diseases, contain outbreaks, inspect neighbouring hives, and advise on destroying affected colonies. Mrs Hodges, a beekeeper in County Down who has around 80-100 hives, said bee inspectors "play a very important part in our normal beekeeping". "We now are at a critical stage where, through lack of recruitment and replacement, we have no bee inspectors," Mrs Hodges stated. "The diseases themselves are not a threat to the public, they are a threat to our bees." However, she said if diseases spread, it could have a knock-on effect for food supply and pollination services due to honey bees being a key pollinator. AFB and EFB do not affect the quality of the honey that the bees produce. Mrs Hodges said Daera's recruitment process is "not good enough". "It is good for the future, but we have a crisis right now," she added. Gareth Gillan, a beekeeper for over 20 years and treasurer at Mid Antrim Beekeepers Association, said he is "really concerned". "Whenever we do get inspectors back, is there going to be loads of cases of foulbrood? "American foulbrood especially is spore forming, so those spores can live up to 50 years, 60 maybe, max, so that will be in the environment for that length of time," he said. "It's not something that will go away after a couple of years, they will still be present in the environment for a long time to come. " Mr Gillan said that about 15 years ago one of his hives had a confirmed case of AFB and he had to destroy the rest of the colony. "I was a bit remorseful because I had only started my beekeeping career and this had happened. But it was best practice". For the next two years his hives were checked regularly by the bee inspector for further signs of disease. In a statement, Daera said it recently met with the UBKA, adding that it is "committed to ensuring that its statutory obligations are fulfilled, which in the case of bee health is primarily to respond to confirmed findings of a notifiable pest or disease in honeybees". "In addition, the Department provides funding to the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) to provide research and free testing for bee disease, available to support all beekeepers to maintain bee health in Northern Ireland," Daera said. Honey bees nested in our chimney for a year Honey bees threatened by 'nasty' disease Honey firm fears impact of new homes on queen bees
