In June 2010, the Scottish Government, together with representatives from the Scottish Beekeepers Association and the Bee Farmer Association launched their 10-year Honey Bee Health Strategy.
The overall aim of the Strategy is to achieve a sustainable and healthy population of honey bees for pollination and honey production in Scotland through strengthened partnership working between stakeholders with an interest in honey bees.
It will provide a plan of action over a decade and will define the need for Government involvement and provide direction for the future. The Scottish Government and stakeholders with interests in honey bees are responsible for implementation of the Honey Bee Health Strategy.
The Strategy has four main outcomes which provide the focus for future action and development on:
- Education, Training and Knowledge Transfer
- Communication
- Surveillance, Diagnosis and Biosecurity
- Research and Development
A feasibility study into options for restocking honey bee colonies in Scotland is a feature of the Strategy, which aims to improve the sustainability and health of honey bee stocks in Scotland. The findings from the study have now been published and can be accessed here Review into Options for Restocking Honey Bee Colonies in Scotland.
The main Strategy Group have identified two Sub-Groups who will take forward issues which are raised.