On this page
Introduction
Importation of honey bee packages from the United States (U.S.) have been restricted since 1987 due to unacceptable levels of risk to the health of the Canadian bee population. A subsequent import risk analysis was conducted in 2014 which concluded that importation of honey bee packages from the U.S. into Canada would lead to unacceptable risk of introduction, establishment and spread of hazards. Restrictions for importing bees into Canada are in place to help protect the Canadian bee population.
In 2023, a new import risk analysis for honey bee packages from the U.S. was initiated to determine if the importation of approximately 50,000 (24,000 to 75,000) honey bee packages per year from the continental U.S. could be allowed into Canada. The analysis included hazard identification, risk assessment and a consultation on risk mitigation options.
Engagement process
By virtue of an open to public proposal period, that spanned from November 7, 2024 to January 31, 2025, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) provided an opportunity for Canadian stakeholders, the United States Department of Agriculture - Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA - APHIS), industry, governments, the public, and other organizations and individuals with an interest in matters related to honey bee health to submit science-based risk mitigation proposals for the importation of honey bee packages from the United States. The CFIA provided all interested parties with the hazard identification and risk assessment documents along with the risk management framework document which outlined the criteria of expectations for risk management. The consideration of implementation of any measures to mitigate identified risks must uphold the CFIA's mandate under the Health of Animals Act and regulations to help protect Canadian animal health, which includes the health of the Canadian honey bee population.
Risk mitigation proposals needed to ensure that the likelihood of entry, exposure and establishment of hazards of concern on recipient hives in Canada as a result of the importation of approximately 50,000 (24,000 to 75,000) honey bee packages (over a period of one year) from the U.S. accords with CFIA's appropriate level of protection. Risk mitigation measures must comprehensively and scientifically demonstrate how they would reduce the risk level to negligible level for each hazard prior to entry (in the country of origin) and must consider the technical, operational, and economical feasibility to effectively reduce the risks for all hazards identified to meet CFIA's acceptable level of risk.
The CFIA encouraged all interested parties to participate in this process to ensure diverse perspectives were considered.
Key findings
The CFIA received a total of 30 submissions during the public proposal period.
- 26 submissions were position statements with some commenting on the risk assessment however without proposing any risk mitigation measures
- 4 submissions provided to the CFIA contained nominal or partial constructs of risk mitigation measures
- The details on the submissions can be viewed in the Summary of risk mitigation proposal submissions which include CFIA responses
CFIA's decision on risk management
The CFIA evaluated all risk mitigation proposals submitted by stakeholders and concluded that there has been no change in the import risk status because the risk levels of the identified hazards remain above the CFIA's acceptable level of risk for the importation of honey bee packages from the U.S..
Bee health is complex, and it is important that honey bee imports be controlled in such a way that they do not pose an unacceptable risk to the Canadian honey bee population. The CFIA's decision on risk management, in accordance with the agency's regulatory mandate under the Health of Animals Act and regulations to help protect all Canadian animal health, can be found on the CFIA's decision on risk management web page.