this post was submitted on 21 Jan 2024
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Saving beekeeper profits*
Honeybees fuck over native bees and other pollinators and destroy ecosystems.
This is absolutely true - honeybee populations are already bouncing back thanks to numerous counter measures, but native bee populations continue to decline. Honeybees cannot pollinate all native plant species native bees do, and even when they can, their generalist nature makes them inefficient for many plants.
I don't have enough experience in this field, but I found that a lot of beekeepers are great advocates for the other bees and pollinators. Stressors that affect the honeybees affect other pollinators, and the future of their business depends on having the ecosystem intact.
Similar to other fields (fishing comes to mind), I'd imagine that there are people that farm sustainably/advocate well, and there are those that selfishly put their own needs ahead of others.
Overall this story sounds like a good thing, and I hope it helps all the pollinators out there. At the very least, it might further our understanding of diseases so we can prevent outbreaks in the future
You're right that keeping European Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), even though they are introduced/invasive to North America, isn't usually detrimental to native pollinators. However, Apis is in no way in danger; they are an agricultural livestock.
Point is, saying you're "saving the bees" by keeping honey bee hives is like saying you're "saving the birds" by keeping chickens. Weird flex, but okay.
I'm not gonna stop loving honey bees or good dogs even if you do have a morally superior point.