The government has begun implementing a pledge from its Int Malta electoral manifesto to expand the Maltese honeybee breeding programme and distribute high-quality queen bees to local beekeepers.
The pledge will be implemented through the Maltese Honeybee Conservation and Expansion Programme, announced as part of the national response to the growing Oriental hornet population. The long-term programme aims to increase the number of genetically verified colonies of the Maltese honeybee (Apis mellifera ruttneri), strengthen local queen-breeding capacity, reduce reliance on imported queens and support research and distribution.
A ministry-owned building on Comino will be used to set up and run a structured breeding programme with the participation of a local non-governmental organisation active in the field. The ministry will provide funding to build sustainable breeding capacity and produce high-quality queens for Maltese beekeepers.
Comino conservation zone
The government said it would publish the 2026 Malta Honeybee Conservation Zone Regulations on Friday, 13 November. The regulations will establish Comino as a protected breeding zone for Malta’s endemic honeybee, fulfilling a separate electoral pledge.
Within the zone, the keeping, breeding, propagation and movement of honeybee colonies will be regulated to protect the genetic integrity of the Maltese honeybee and reduce the risks of hybridisation, genetic introgression and disease transmission. The regulations will also introduce colony registration and authorisation, as well as monitoring, inspection and verification. A Maltese honeybee colony may be kept permanently in the zone only with written authorisation from the director responsible for agriculture.
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Supply Anton Refalo said the regulations were another step towards strengthening and sustainably developing the beekeeping sector, while giving Comino an important role in conserving the Maltese honeybee.
“With these regulations, we are fulfilling another electoral manifesto pledge. Comino will become a protected breeding zone for the endemic honeybee, where beekeeping and breeding activities will be managed in an organised, scientific and responsible way. This will help us protect the genetic integrity of the Maltese honeybee, strengthen the beekeeping sector and create new opportunities for its sustainable development,” Refalo said.
The regulations define a Maltese honeybee colony as one with at least 90% genetic purity attributable to Apis mellifera ruttneri. Technical guidelines will set out the scientific methods, criteria and administrative procedures for determining genetic purity.
The regulations also provide for transitional measures for non-native colonies already on Comino. Limited authorisations may be granted for their temporary and seasonal introduction, subject to conditions on biosecurity, traceability, movement and the genetic integrity of the resident population.
The conservation zone and the breeding programme will work together. The regulations will protect the genetic integrity of the island’s honeybee population, while the programme will expand the Maltese honeybee population and supply quality queens to beekeepers.
“We are combining protection with action. Comino will provide a protected environment for breeding the endemic honeybee. Through the Maltese Honeybee Conservation and Expansion Programme, we will begin delivering on our pledge to expand the breeding programme and improve the supply of high-quality queens to our beekeepers,” Refalo said.
