Subject: | |
From: | |
Reply To: | |
Date: | Sat, 4 Sep 2021 17:06:13 -0400 |
Content-Type: | text/plain |
Parts/Attachments: |
|
|
I think a universal code of conduct/beekeeperly ethics is an excellent idea.
While I found the NZ document thoughtful and responsible, my work with new beekeepers suggests something far more simple and direct would be more likely to be adopted into practice.
There is real value in a public statement of expected conduct/ethics...even if you don't get full compliance, every beekeeper understands where "the lines" are. I think that forms a fairly substantial bulwark against unfortunate behaviour.
When I teach beginning beekeeping classes I add in a unit on ethical beekeeping. Here is the relevant excerpt from the class notes (post discussion of the topic) for that week:
Ethical beekeeping. As beekeepers, we have an ethical duty to the bees, who have not asked to be domesticated and managed. We have an ethical duty to our fellow beekeepers, particularly those in our flight range, who are impacted by our apiary and our management practices (or lack thereof!).
Note that bee research/management experiment yards should be run outside the flight range of other beekeepers, particularly those studying the effects of disease and pests. This applies as well to treatment free/survivor yards, where rising mite levels can create havoc for nearby beekeepers.
We have a duty to our communities, where bees are feared but required for food production. And we have an ethical duty to the wild and native pollinators, who cannot forage as effectively as honey bees, and are therefore pushed to the edge in human-altered, forage-poor, degraded habitats.
***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html
|
|
|