AMAZON’S STINGLESS BEE BECOMES FIRST INSECT TO GET LEGAL RIGHTS from Vajirao & Reddy Institute

AMAZON’S STINGLESS BEE BECOMES FIRST INSECT TO GET LEGAL RIGHTS

• Amazonian stingless bees have become the first insect species in the world to be granted legal rights.
• Two municipalities in Peru — Satipo and Nauta — passed an ordinance granting these rights.
• The move aims to strengthen conservation efforts for stingless bees, which are facing serious threats.

• Stingless bees are a group of bees that do not have stingers, or their stingers cannot cause pain.
• They are mainly found in tropical regions across the world.
• Out of around 500 known species, nearly half live in the Amazon rainforest.
• Peru alone has more than 170 species of stingless bees.

• Stingless bees are considered the oldest bee species on Earth.
• They have existed for around 80 million years, since the time of the dinosaurs.

• Stingless bees are key pollinators of tropical forests.
• In the Amazon, they pollinate more than 80% of plant species.
• They help pollinate important crops such as:
  • Cacao
  • Coffee
  • Avocado

• By supporting pollination, stingless bees help maintain:
  • Forest regeneration
  • Biodiversity
  • Food chains

• Stingless bees are deeply linked to the culture of:
  • Asháninka people
  • Kukama-Kukamiria people

• According to Apu Cesar Ramos, President of Eco Ashaninka of the Asháninka Communal Reserve:
  • Stingless bees carry Indigenous traditional knowledge passed down for generations.
  • They symbolise coexistence between humans and the rainforest.

• Asháninka communities use stingless bee honey as a traditional medicine.
• Studies show the honey has:
  • Anti-inflammatory properties
  • Anti-bacterial properties
  • Anti-viral properties

• Stingless bee honey is different from commercial honey:
  • It is not thick or gooey.
  • It has high water content.
  • The taste is sweet and sour

• The biggest threat is deforestation caused by:
  • Illegal logging
  • Agricultural expansion
  • Cattle grazing
• This has led to the loss of natural habitats.

• The frequency and intensity of wildfires in the Amazon have increased.
• Fires destroy nesting sites and food sources.

• Rising temperatures have forced stingless bees to migrate to higher elevations.
• This separates them from communities that depend on them.

• Vásquez Espinoza, founder of Amazon Research Internacional, noted:
  • Bees that were earlier found within 30 minutes of walking now take hours to locate.
• This shows a sharp decline in bee populations.

• In 2024, Peru passed a national law recognising stingless bees as native species.
• Under Peruvian law, native species must be protected.

• The new ordinance builds on the 2024 law.
• It grants legal rights to stingless bees.

• Exist and survive
• Maintain healthy populations
• Restore and protect their habitats
• Live in a pollution-free environment

• The ordinance was developed in collaboration with Asháninka leaders and communities.
• It recognises that:
  • Indigenous cultural and spiritual rights are inseparable from the well-being of stingless bees.
  • Protecting bees also means protecting Indigenous identity and livelihoods.

• Currently, the ordinance applies only to two municipalities.
• Efforts are underway to:
  • Expand it to other regions
  • Make it a national law across Peru