MERIDA (Times Media Mexico) – On session in the State Congress, representative Janice Escobedo Salazar, in compliance with her commitment to support beekeepers in the disappearance of their hives, she presented an initiative that includes the creation of the State Program for the Protection and general awarness of bees and the Promotion of Beekeeping in the peninsula, which will contain policies, objectives, strategies and lines of action that will govern the beekeeping activity and protect the bees as well their environment.
It includes the promotion of programs and campaigns focused on making the population aware of the importance of bees, regulating the actions of the Civil Protection program in the removal of hives in urban areas and most importantly, in creating awareness on the damage caused by pesticides, that due to their level of toxicity, kill the bees, have harmful effects on the environment and is hazardous to human and animal health.
On October 20, 2018, statements made by state legislators committed to address the problem of reduced honey production in Yucatan and the country, to support producers and allow the full recovery of the industry.
“If necessary, we will promote legislative initiatives or reforms, as well as points of agreement or whatever is necessary to find a solution,” stated representative Janice Escobedo.
After several months of dialogue and meetings with beekeepers, environmentalists, traders, veterinarians and beekeeping experts, as well as knowing that the disappearance of bees would represent a disaster in biological, environmental and economic terms, the legislator said she seeks to fulfill that commitment, since preserving health and the environment must be a priority.
“Yucatán has always stood out for its beekeeping” since ancient times the Mayas have worked with native, stingless bees of the melipona and trigona variety to produce honey and wax.
“Lately, various media outlets are talking about the importance of taking care of bees, they have a preponderant function in the balance of ecosystems: they are the main pollinators of the planet: of the total number of plants with flowers pollinated by insects, 80% of them are carried out by bees, who require nectar and pollen to feed themselves,” she said.
The PRI representative stressed that bees are so important, that a third of food for human consumption depends directly or indirectly on pollination, and now these insects are threatened, whole hives are beggining to disappear.
“It is necessary to take measures to protect them and that is exactly what the initiative aims to do”, Janice Escobedo.
The Yucatan Times
Newsroom
