Question 5013 — biodiversity

Summary

Mr. Damien Girard questions the Minister of Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forests, Sea and Fisheries on the protection of black bees on the island of Groix. The black bee ( Apis mellifera mellifera ) is a subspecies of the European honey bee, present in Europe for more than a million years. Lively, autonomous and resistant, it adapts remarkably well to disruptive elements (parasites, diseases, climate change). Particularly effective for collecting and disseminating pollen, it also plays a major role in pollination and the development of local biodiversity. Its genetic heritage is therefore essential for the future of bees and biodiversity. Like other bee species, the black bee faces major threats, including the intensive use of pesticides, loss of biodiversity due to intensive agriculture, as well as diseases and parasites such as varroa. Furthermore, French beekeepers tend to import subspecies of bees that are docile and profitable in the short term, such as the Italian bee or the Buckfast bee. Crossings with these exogenous bees, less autonomous and less adapted to the environment, give rise to more fragile hybrid bees. The absence of a legal framework promotes the massive introduction of exogenous bees and hybridization. Thus, the unique genetic heritage of the black bee threatens to gradually disappear. To date, no strong legal protection guarantees the preservation of the black bee in France, classified as a domestic bee. However, scientists from the CNRS, the National Museum of Natural History and the European Federation for the Conservation of the Black Bee warn of the urgency of creating genetic conservatories of black bees. These sanctuaries aim to prohibit the importation of non-native bees and beekeeping practices that are disrespectful to bees (overfeeding, transhumance). In France, there are eleven sanctuaries but effective protection remains insufficient today. The island of Groix (Morbihan) is home to one of the last populations of black bees still pure in France. Thanks to its geographical isolation, it has escaped the hybridization which weakens the species on the continent. The bees live there independently and wildly. Human intervention is limited: beekeepers simply harvest surplus honey, without chemical treatment or transhumance. Beyond the black bee, the island of Groix is ​​home to remarkable wealth, with 113 species of wild pollinators. However, the absence of a strict legislative framework weakens this sanctuary. A simple municipal decree prohibits the introduction of non-local bees, but control remains very limited and ineffective, thus threatening the genetic integrity of the colonies. Citizen mobilization has intensified to demand effective protection of Groix pollinators, with a petition having collected more than 100,000 signatures. The signatories request a reinforced legal protection of pollinators on the entire island of Groix, the effective ban on any importation of exogenous bees on the island and intensive breeding practices. The “3DS” law of February 21, 2022 recognizes metropolitan island municipalities “as a set of territories whose sustainable development constitutes a major objective of national interest due to their social, environmental, cultural, landscape and economic and requires that their differences in situations be taken into account in the implementation of local and national public policies. This law thus justifies specific regulations on the island of Groix to protect this unique and fragile ecosystem. He therefore questions him about the means envisaged to ensure the protection of the black bee and all the pollinators of the island of Groix.

Machine translation from French. The official text remains authoritative.

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