Apayao eyes 30% limit on wild bee harvest to protect colonies, support livelihood

SAN ISIDRO, Luna, Apayao — Apayao is considering a 30% harvest limit for wild bee products as a possible way to protect native bee populations while allowing communities to earn from sustainable bee-related activities.

The proposal emerged following a field study conducted by researchers from the University of the Philippines Los Baños and Kaohsiung Medical University in the yApayaos Biosphere Reserve. The study findings were presented during an exit conference on Oct. 5 at the Capitol Conference Hall in San Isidro, Luna.

Atty. Arnold Janssen Castillo, consultant and head of the BRyA Research Center, said the study provides baseline information on Apayao’s native bees, noting that there had been little to no formal research on the province’s bee populations before the project.

Fieldwork conducted in Luna, Pudtol and Calanasan documented three bee taxa: stingless bees or “pulot,” Asian honey bees or “ligwan” or “laywan,” and giant honey bees or “ayukan.”

Castillo said the findings confirmed that the Apayao Biosphere Reserve supports multiple native bee species, including both stingless and honey bees, underscoring its importance for bee conservation and pollination.

30% harvest proposed

Castillo said the researchers also discussed the potential of sustainable beekeeping as a source of additional income for communities while preventing destructive collection practices that could deplete wild bee populations.

He said an outright ban on wild collection may push some people to collect bee products illegally, sometimes using practices such as fire or tree felling.

During the meeting, participants proposed allowing the collection of bee products but limiting the harvest to 30%, leaving an estimated 70% of the colony within its habitat to maintain the natural population.

“This approach will allow the community to earn an income safely without wiping out the wild population,” Castillo said.

He said native stingless bees and other suitable native species could have potential for sustainable beekeeping and livelihood development.

Researchers call for pollinator habitats

The researchers also recommended establishing pollinator pastures using preferably native flowering plants that bloom at different times of the year.

Castillo said relatively few bees were observed at some survey sites, possibly due in part to the hot and dry conditions during the fieldwork, which may have reduced bee activity and the availability of flowering resources.

He said flowering areas could be established in suitable community spaces, agricultural landscapes and forest edges to provide bees and other pollinators with a more continuous supply of nectar and pollen.

Such areas could also benefit other wildlife and potentially serve as additional attractions for visitors, he added.

More data needed before policy

Castillo stressed that the field study was only an initial step and that more surveys and continuous monitoring are needed before appropriate harvesting limits and conservation measures can be firmly established.

“The short field survey is insufficient to complete the data on native bees in Apayao, so our first priority is gathering more field data,” he said.

He said continued coordination with local government units, green guards and forest rangers will be important in gathering additional information on bee populations and habitats.

The researchers and local partners are expected to use the additional data in developing conservation policies and incorporating bee protection measures into the management plan of the Biosphere Reserve for the yApayaos.