Beekeeping in the Canary Islands will receive state aid for the first time in 2024. The Special Procurement Regime, known as REA, aligns beekeeping with the broader livestock sector across the islands. The recent severe Tenerife bushfires created not only an environmental disaster but also a disruption to honey production. About 2,500 beehives were burned and roughly 6,000 additional hives were affected due to the loss of forest cover and flowering sources that bees rely on for forage. Following a proposal from the Ministry of Agriculture to the central government, the European Commission confirmed that from February onward, supplementary feeding for bees will be eligible for the same level of support as feed and inputs for other livestock.
Nevertheless, the new framework has sparked questions. Beekeepers on Gran Canaria and other islands worry that, beyond the fire damage, the policy could encourage the import of artificial bee feed. Foreign hives, less adapted to island climates, are sometimes introduced to Tenerife, while Gran Canaria often favors local stock. There is support for promoting the Canary black bee, which requires less artificial feed compared with imported bees.
Antonio Quesada, board member of the Gran Canaria Beekeepers Association (ApiGranca), notes that artificial feeding is not essential for the Canary black bee, a native species and the only one established on the islands of La Palma, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria. On Tenerife, La Gomera and El Hierro, imports from other regions have been restricted since 2014. He adds that alien species struggle to adapt to island conditions, leading to higher consumption of sugary and protein supplements that are increasingly costly.
Beekeepers in Gran Canaria recognize that Tenerife’s beekeepers are receiving direct aid due to the forest fire, which remains under control but not fully extinguished. They also emphasize that this is the first time the Autonomous Community has introduced direct sector support in response to a natural disaster, a move not seen during the 2019 fires in Gran Canaria and La Palma or the volcanic activity on nearby islands. While the REA is regional, concerns remain that Tenerife could disproportionately benefit if other islands do not secure enough purchases of artificial feed to claim compensation for transport costs covered by the program. The European funds aim to lower the cost of beekeeping inputs across island agriculture.
Pablo Pestano, president of the Tenerife Beekeepers Association (Apiten), stresses that feed for bees remains essential to sustain ongoing beekeeping activity. Drought and climate change bring environmental and seasonal shifts that directly affect bee colonies. The bushfire emergency accelerated the push for relief, yet the core issue spans all islands, not solely Tenerife, according to Pestano.
Tenerife beekeepers advocate evaluating foreign bee stocks because they are often more productive, while acknowledging that the Canary black bee still requires development. Pestano describes the black bee as a rough gem that must be refined to achieve productivity, docility, disease resistance, and adaptability to climate change. He believes a selective breeding program could enhance the native species while preserving its island adaptations.