Spain: Changes to the regulations are demanded to protect beekeeping in Catalonia

The transhumant professional beekeeping sector of Terres de l’Ebre has put on the table the need to eliminate the current restriction of 40 hives per apiary in protected natural areas, established by the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). This measure, which until 2022 allowed up to 80 hives, threatens to hinder the viability of beekeeping farms in a context of increasing environmental and climatic pressure. The Federació de Cooperatives Agràries de Catalunya (FCAC), together with the Cooperativa Apícola Tarragonina and SAT LTDA Apícola El Perelló, met with the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food to defend this and other priority demands of the sector. They argue that there is no technical study that supports the reduction to 40 hives, and they emphasize that these limitations are the responsibility of the autonomous communities, which can adapt them according to local circumstances. Allowing a greater number of hives in protected areas is vital to give ...