Support for B4's Loophole Petition

B4 Project
Jul 14
2 min read

Updated: Sep 24

Several well-known and highly respected bee experts have publicly endorsed B4’s petition to close the Northern Ireland Loophole.

Professor Mairi Knight

Dr Ralph Büchler

Dr Maria Bouga

Norman Carreck

Sadly the scientific evidence that the movement of honey bees around the world has been accompanied by the global movement of their pests and diseases is incontrovertible. Over the last 35 years in the UK we have had the arrival of the varroa mite and viruses such as Kashmir bee virus and Israeli acute paralysis virus. Many different viruses are known to be transmissible though queen bees, the most likely route of entry of these exotic diseases into the UK.

With both the small hive beetle and the troplilaelaps mites now present in Europe in countries with bee trading links to those from which queens are imported into the UK, we currently face greater risks from queen imports than at any recent time.

An unintended consequence of Brexit has been the creation of the “Northern Ireland Loophole”, which has since 2021 allowed some 50,000 imported exotic honey bee queens to go to unknown destinations in Great Britain via an inspection free route, thus greatly increasing the risks. The reasons for the development of this route are that legitimate imports directly into Great Britain now attract post Brexit “increased bureaucracy and paperwork”. “Increased bureaucracy and paperwork” actually means “biosecurity”, and at this time of heightened risk we need more biosecurity, not less.

Those using imported queens of exotic strains tend to claim that to restrict imports would infringe their freedoms and choice, but actually it is the other way round. By using imported queens, they infringe the freedom of their neighbouring beekeepers who may wish to conserve native bees, or who may wish to develop varroa tolerant bees for a more sustainable long term future for beekeeping. Those neighbouring beekeepers have no choice.

To continue to allow this loophole to exist is in the interest of no UK beekeeper, and of course, those relying on beekeeping for all or part of their income have the most to lose.

I join my scientific colleagues in urging all UK beekeepers to sign this petition.

Norman Carreck BSc CBiol FRSB FRES NDB

Beekeeper for over 45 years, bee researcher for over 30 years.