Bees for Development Journal 128 September 2018
Manuka honey has tripled in price since 2012 and is now worth about £180,000,000 to the New Zealand economy. It is worth even more to the thieves and their Chinese conspirators.
Oxfordshire, UK. The police are still investigating the burglary which has resulted in what is thought to be the largest theft of its kind. Bee thefts this year have reached a record level in Spain. As the profits grow, so does the nefarious conduct of the criminals with unscrupulous farmers paying gangs to steal their competitors’ hives. [See: The Times: 22/5/18] It has become an industry in itself¨ as crimes continue to soar, the profits to be made from illicit pollination enables the burglars to live in mansions.
Future The future does not look good for apiarists. The honest professional is likely to be a victim while the burglars choose greed over need. Ged Marshall, Chairman of the British Bee Farmers Association, said: “The puzzling thing is how the thieves knew where the hives are to begin with. To find the site which is hidden away, you either must have been following someone for weeks or deliberately searching for the hives.”
This is an abridged edition of the article The feted Bee-keeper who stole the soul of a Stranger available on the Bees for Development website
In Kent (UK) the police have urged beekeepers to camouflage their hives - hide hives behind hedges or tall fences out of view of main roads and paint a muted colour - after a spate of thefts and arson attacks.
Nöel Sweeney is a practising British barrister specialising in criminal law and human rights, as well as animal law. He is the author of Bees-at-law reviewed in BfDJ 125
In February 2018 burglars stole 1,000,000 bees from Beekeeper Honey, a family-run business in
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notice board FUNDING OPPORTUNITY The Rome 1% Fund offers grants of up to US$ 5,000 (€4,500) for small-scale beekeeping projects, and is making a call for proposals from community groups in the following regions: the Caribbean, Latin America, and south-west Pacific. Applications can be made online at www.one-percent-fund.net TRAINING GRANT Conservation Workshop Grants fund organisations to train communities, stakeholders, park guards, and others on local and regional conservation issues. These grants support training workshops with hands-on learning components that will build capacity for people living in WWF priority places in select countries in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America. Organisations must meet all the eligibility criteria to be considered for a grant of up to US$7,500. See www.worldwildlife.org/ projects/conservation-workshop-grants HOTSPOT Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot Call. Small grants (maximum US$10,000) in Burundi, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe - applications only accepted upon invitation. To discuss your project idea with one of our team members first write to cepf-eam-rit@birdlife.org AWARD A professional development programme that strengthens the research and leadership skills of African women in agricultural science, empowering them to contribute more effectively to poverty alleviation and food security in sub-Saharan Africa. See www.awardfellowships.org
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