cooperative EXPERT REPORT TO CLARIFY THE STATUS OF THE HONEY BEE

In 2020, the Federal Office for the Environment (Department for Biodiversity and Landscape) commissioned the University of Neuchâtel (Institute for Biology) and the Center for Bee Research (Agroscope, Federal Research Institute) to prepare an opinion: The status or condition of the honey bee, in particular the subspecies Mellifera, in Switzerland should be clarified, motivated by the current revision of the national “Red List” of endangered bees. It is unclear to the experts how to deal with the honey bee: domesticated farm animal or wild animal? Widespread or extinct in the wild? What is now being defined can only be corrected with the next revision in 15 years if the assessment is incorrect. We must act now!

Specifically, the expert report will be prepared by the experienced and top-class bee researchers Melanie Parejo, Christophe Praz and Vincent Dietemann, accompanied by a committee of experts and the institutions concerned. Thus, in addition to BienenSchweiz, the Société Romande d’Apiculture and the Mellifera organization, FREETHEBEES was able to comment on the report orally and in writing. Our comprehensive and technically high-quality opinion was then appropriately recognized, thanked and included in the report. The final version of the expert report should be available in mid-December.