Brexit: 15 million baby bees could be seized and burned over ‘monumentally stupid’ rules

British beekeeper told his order of baby Italian bees would be destroyed if he tried to import them

A British beekeeper trying to bring 15 million bees into the UK said he has been told they may be seized and burned because of Brexit rules.

Patrick Murfet, managing director at Bee Equipment, wants to import the baby Italian bees for his Kent business and to help British farmers pollinate valuable crops.

But new laws that came into effect after the UK left the EU’s single market and customs union mean that bringing certain types of bees into the country is banned.

Since 1 January, only queen bees can be imported into Great Britain. However, confusion remains over whether other kinds of bees can be brought into Britain via Northern Ireland.

In an effort to avoid the import ban, Mr Murfet arranged for his usual importation of 15 million bees from Italy to arrive via Northern Ireland in April – but said he has been warned they might be destroyed if he tried.

Beekeeper Patrick Murfet with a beehive in Canterbury  (PA)

“I am a passionate beekeeper, I’ve been doing it for nearly 20 years,” Mr Murfet told the Press Association. “It’s a monumentally stupid situation for a country supposed to be standing on its own two feet and exporting round the world.”

Before Brexit, Mr Murfet was able to imports large numbers of bees from breeders in Italy, where the climate is warmer. It has helped the Canterbury-based business strengthen breeding lines and boost the number of early-awakening pollinators for farms in the UK.

But the new ban could put this in jeopardy, Mr Murfet said. He called on Boris Johnson’s government to help sort out the mess. 

He said his enquiries to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs into the reasoning behind the ban on imported bees had been met with silence, except an email reading: “Illegal imports will be sent back or destroyed, and enforcement action (criminal charges) will be brought against the importer.”

Mr Murfet revealed that he had already paid a deposit of about £20,000 for the bees, and stood to lose nearly £100,000 in costs if he could not bring them into the country.

“So far the department [Defra] has overseen a policy whereby the UK is only one of three countries in Europe to see a decline in bee colonies,” he said. “Fewer honeybees means less pollination, less top fruits and more imports.”

Defra said it was  aware of the issue and was working with the devolved administrations to find a solution. A department spokesperson said it would provide guidance to bee importers and beekeepers as soon as possible.