Hawaiʻi Island lawmakers consider bill to encourage beekeeping

Lawmakers on Hawaiʻi Island are considering a measure to promote beekeeping.

The Hawaiʻi County Council is moving along Bill 144, which allows beekeeping in every zoning district on the island, including those meant for residential, commercial or industrial purposes. It would also establish management practices on how to properly keep honeybees.

The measure explains the numerous benefits honeybees have to humans, such as having a "vital role in supporting mankind, agriculture and native ecosystems by pollinating food crops."

"In addition, they provide useful products, such as honey and wax and queen bees, because Hawaiʻi's tropical weather, climate and diverse plant life provide optimal conditions for year-round breeding of queen bees," the bill argues.

Legislators also say the changes could help agricultural operations on the island. Right now the county treats honeybees like livestock, meaning they have to be 1,000 feet from major roads.

The county law, as it currently stands, has been problematic for beekeepers and those who breed queen bees.

“A few years ago, there was a queen breeder on the Kona side that had to move their operation because they were within that 1,000 feet, and they missed a thousand feet by literally like 20-30 feet. … They had to move their operation,” said Harry Holm, president of the Big Island Beekeepers Association.

Advocates also say that honeybees play an important role in environmental stewardship and food sustainability in Hawaiʻi.

The council considered that expanding the use of honeybee colonies could lead to them being a nuisance in some areas. The measure said that "activity or behavior that disrupts or impedes public health and safety" can be filed with the state Department of Health.