Cristina Hodgson
REPOPULATING the Iberian Peninsula with 47 million Apis mellifera iberiensis, better known as the Iberian bee, is the aim of a project that has been recently launched in Spain.
To reverse the “disappearing trend” and help the demographic recovery of the Spanish bee population, which is so necessary for the preservation of ecosystems, hives are being installed across the country.
The first hives of the Smart Green Bees project, promoted by the technology company LG with the collaboration of the association El Rincon de la Abeja, have been placed on a farm in the natural park of Los Montes.
The Iberian or Spanish bee is the only species native to the Iberian Peninsula, but its population is declining rapidly due to factors such as drought, diseases affecting the species and the declining profitability for beekeepers, as it is not the most efficient breed for honey production.
One bee per capita
The initiative aims to expand Apis mellifera iberiensis throughout Spain with up to 47 million new bees within two years, ‘one for every inhabitant’, as informed Paola Vecino, president of the association El Rincon de la Abeja.
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