Move to Unite ‘Beekeeping Clubs of New Zealand’ Gains Momentum
Moves are underway to bring the beekeeping clubs of New Zealand together into a national organisation that could provide a better avenue for reaching many of the country’s 7000 hobbyist beekeepers, and create strength in numbers for bee clubs. Led by Auckland Beekeepers Club president Ken Brown, a group comprising representatives from 16 clubs has met online and since then 29 clubs from all corners of the country have been invited to another pivotal online meeting, scheduled for November 2.
Brown conceived the idea of what has been given the working title ‘Beekeeping Clubs of New Zealand’ following the move of Apiculture New Zealand to Honey and Bees New Zealand (HBNZ), in which hobbyist beekeepers can be members, but without voting rights.
“This is not competitive with Honey and Bees New Zealand. It is supportive of them,” Brown is quick to point out, and that support goes both ways, with HBNZ chairperson Murray Bush saying, while the topic has not been officially discussed around the board table, better organised clubs, and thus many non-commercial beekeepers, can only be a good thing.
“It seems a strong move to get all beekeepers involved and a general voice of ‘beekeeping New Zealand’ on the likes of biosecurity, American foulbrood and the general wellbeing of beekeepers,” Bush says.
Brown says he received positive support for the concept from New Zealand Bee Health and Biosecurity and the Ministry for Primary Industries. On September 21 he chaired an online meeting where 16 bee clubs were represented, and their interest level in the concept was gauged. It was decided the concept should be progressed ‘provided it remains practical, affordable and focused on helping clubs’ a written summary of that meeting states.
‘Such a body could make it easier to share resources and good beekeeping practice, support clubs, and provide a coordinated voice for club-based beekeepers when one is needed,’ the summary adds.
At this stage it is anticipated that Beekeeping Clubs of New Zealand would be open to membership for – as the working title suggests – clubs only and not individuals. Brown invites any beekeeping clubs which have yet to receive an invitation to the November 2 meeting to reach out to the Auckland Beekeepers Club.
Beekeeping clubs are not limited to hobbyist beekeepers and many commercial beekeepers call themselves members of local organisations, but the concept is proposed as a potentially valuable tool for communicating with and coordinating hobbyist apiarists.
“Rather than trying to deal with 5000 or 7000 hobbyist beekeepers, if the clubs were aligned to be a point to send messages to and from it will be really, really helpful, particularly from a biosecurity point of view,” says Terry Copeland, MPI’s programme director for export growth, and lead of the recently formed ‘Bee Alliance’.
“So, we are supportive of Ken and his ambitions, whatever that alliance looks like, we think it is a positive step.”
How the group would be structured, whether formally or informally, an incorporated society, or charity, is yet to be determined. Regardless of that form, Brown says he envisages it will provide greater efficiencies to clubs and a collective strength that is much needed.
“Bee clubs are struggling around the country, with the internet a source of information, it's hard for them to stay relevant and keep members,” Brown says.
“If we can support each other, we will help each other with intellectual property and the likes, and collectively support increased memberships, which will make it more normal that hobbyists join bee clubs. That way, best practice information can be spread more easily, especially during biosecurity concerns. And then we can work together with all the other relevant bodies, so there's no argy-bargy or conflicts of interest.”
Talk of financing the group at the September 21 meeting saw any decision in that regard postponed, with it likely to be a key consideration at the larger November 2 online meeting.
HBNZ’s constitution allows for “affiliate” bodies which could potentially include a collection of bee clubs should the new group formalise. For now though, Bush is happy to see a complementary beekeeping group take flight.
“HBNZ is clearly a commercial beekeeping driven organisation, but, because of biosecurity and because of AFB, plus general interests in beekeeping, like varroa, that are across the board, we have to build a hobby structure into an HBNZ structure,” Bush says.
“What is being proposed could give us the communication framework to allow the two to exist. There are massive potential synergy and complimentary benefits between the two. So, we are working with Ken to support the group wherever it is going.”
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