Slovenia's Carniolan bees get new protection

Carniolan bee, a native species of Slovenia with high honey production, is getting new protection by Slovenian authorities, Slovenian Press Agency reported on Sunday. A special resolution on the Carniolan was adopted by the cabinet recently to protect this native bee from foreign species and to preserve the purity of the breed. Under the supplementary regulations, local beekeepers are encouraged to do everything to monitor the state of bee families, and to reduce the loss of bee families to disease. Slovenia needs to keep at least 150,000 bee families, each of which typically comprises a queen bee, 20,000-60,000 bees and hundreds of drones, according to the latest resolution. Apiculture has long been a traditional activity in Slovenia, which can be dated back to early 18th century. Currently, more than 7,500 apiarists are connected through their local associations and societies to the Slovenian Beekeepers'Association, according to Bostjan Noc, president of the association. Slovenia is the only European Union (EU) member state, which protects its own autochthonous honey bee, and is prohibited to breed other races of honey bees. Following its more than a dozen of types of cheeses and dried meat products, "Slovenski med", or Slovenian honey, has become the country's 19th product to get EU protection since November 2013.