Prime Minister Robert Abela has said the government is exploring possible solutions to the hornet problem affecting beekeepers in Malta, with an action plan expected to be announced once the ongoing assessment is completed.
In response to questions by journalists, Abela acknowledged that the problem was affecting a number of people, including beekeepers who have reported significant losses to their hives.
Asked about the impact of hornets on ordinary residents and people who keep bees, Abela said he was aware of the situation and had also spoken to beekeepers who had raised their concerns with the government.
He revealed that the issue had been discussed at Cabinet level and that discussions were underway with Agriculture Minister Anton Refalo to explore possible solutions.
The Prime Minister said he had tasked Refalo with examining the situation and identifying potential measures to address the problem.
“For us, no situation is too small, even if it affects one person — although in this case it affects many more,” he said.
However, when asked whether the situation constituted a crisis for beekeepers, Abela described it as a “challenge”.
The journalist pressed the Prime Minister on why assistance would only be announced in the coming weeks, pointing out that beekeepers were already facing an ongoing crisis and had lost significant numbers of bees.
Abela said the government was working to find a solution as quickly as possible, stressing that the sooner a remedy could be identified the better.
He said assistance and other possible measures would be considered once the current assessment had been completed.
“We will be able in the coming weeks, after the exercise currently underway is concluded, to identify what the solutions could be,” Abela said, adding that work on the issue was already in progress.
Once a solution has been identified, the government will be in a position to announce an action plan.
Abela did not specify what form any assistance might take or provide a precise date for the announcement.