The Foundation for the Conservation of the Maltese Honey Bee warmly welcomes the establishment of Comino as the first conservation zone for the Maltese Honey Bee, Apis mellifera ruttneri. This is a long-awaited milestone for our National Insect and an important achievement towards a goal the Foundation has consistently advocated.
The Foundation commends the Government for recognising the importance of conserving the Maltese Honey Bee and committing resources to a dedicated conservation and breeding programme on Comino. This represents a welcome investment in Malta’s natural heritage and the long-term protection of our endemic honey bee.
For local beekeepers, the programme offers the prospect of a more reliable supply of genetically verified Maltese queens, stronger local breeding capacity and reduced dependence on imports. It also opens opportunities for research and training, with beekeepers playing a central role in safeguarding the future of the Maltese Honey Bee.
To help this initiative achieve its full conservation purpose, the Foundation calls for the removal of the seasonal exception in Regulation 8 of Legal Notice 309 of 2026. This allows the Director responsible for agriculture to authorise non-native colonies on Comino between 15 May and 31 July each year. The Foundation acknowledges the conditions attached to these permits, but considers the exception incompatible with the genetic protection the zone is intended to provide.
Honey bee queens mate in flight with drones from surrounding colonies, including those brought solely for honey production. The regulations set a minimum genetic purity of 90% for Maltese colonies, and the programme should protect and strengthen that genetic identity. A conservation project requiring investment of many thousands of euros deserves safeguards that prevent its work from being undermined by avoidable hybridisation.
The Foundation proposes interim safeguards for existing non-native and genetically unverified colonies, including properly fitted drone-exclusion screens, supervised management of adult drones and drone brood, and frequent checks for swarming and queen replacement. Marking and wing clipping of already mated non-native queens may provide additional control, but clipping does not stop drones flying or prevent swarming with a newly emerged queen. These measures should support the removal of non-native colonies.
The Foundation welcomes this new opportunity and looks forward to constructive collaboration with the authorities, scientists and beekeepers to turn this milestone into lasting protection for the Maltese Honey Bee. This builds on the Foundation’s tireless efforts to secure its recognition as Malta’s National Insect, a status granted in 2024.
The Foundation hopes that Comino will become a successful model for further conservation zones in suitable areas of Malta and Gozo. A network of protected populations would safeguard our natural heritage and strengthen the long-term prospects of the Maltese Honey Bee.
This initiative also offers an opportunity to build a more viable and sustainable apicultural sector around a bee adapted to Malta’s conditions. A carefully managed breeding programme can work towards greater resilience, improved longevity and productivity, and reduced management needs. The Foundation believes that the key to a sustainable future for Maltese beekeeping lies in protecting and investing in the Maltese Honey Bee.
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