ECOAGRASOC group participated in this project led by the Fundación CEER
Ana Isabel García Arias at Fórum Vespa velutina, Lisbon, May 2022
The Atlantic Positive project came to an end on 30th June. For four years (2019-2023), a multidisciplinary team has worked with the main objective of stopping the spread of the invasive species Vespa velutina and minimising its impact on the ecosystems and socio-economic development of the Atlantic Area.
The project was coordinated by the Fundación Centro de Estudos Eurorrexionais Galiza-Norte de Portugal (CEER), involving 10 institutions from Spain, Portugal, France, Ireland and the United Kingdom, in collaboration with 20 other organisations. Professors Ana Isabel García Arias and Ibán Vázquez González and researcher Mariam Ferreira Golpe, from the ECOAGRASOC group, were part of the team from the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC) involved in the project.
The economic and ecosystem impact of Vespa velutina
Of the different lines of research of the project, the ECOAGRASOC team focused on the analysis of the economic and ecosystem impact of Vespa velutina. Thus, after conducting a total of 151 surveys of beekeepers in Galicia, they were able to estimate that the costs of control and prevention incurred amounted to 2.5 million euros (between 1.8 and 3.3 million with a confidence interval of 95%), with data referring to 2020. Furthermore, the analysis also shows that the average cost per beekeeper was 561 euros; although this figure varies by province, with Pontevedra being the most affected due to its climatic conditions, with an average cost of 1,062 euros per beekeeper. The average cost per hive in Galicia is 13.35 euros.
On average, beekeepers in Galicia invested 20% of their income from honey sales in V. velutina control.
On the other hand, the study also found that trapping is the most widespread method, accounting for approximately half of the costs incurred by beekeepers in the fight against V. velutina (and not counting here the support of the administrations, which also distributed traps free of charge). The second most important type of cost was for training, at 64 euros per beekeeper.
The ECOAGRASOC team also evaluated the incidence of V. velutina in the wine sector by means of a survey of technicians from the different Designations of Origin (D.O.). As conclusions, the V. velutina seems to have had an early presence in the Rías Baixas D.O., gradually spreading to the rest of the production areas. Damage increases with each passing year and the pest has a greater presence. Bites on the fruit are relevant, as they favour the appearance of other diseases.
The results achieved will be presented in the coming months at various scientific meetings. Specifically, the poster “Economic costs and practices to control Vespa velutina nigrithorax in beekeeping: a survey in four regions in Europe” will be presented at the congress of the European Association of Agricultural Economists (Rennes, France – 29th August); while the papers “The economic cost of invasive species: Costs borne by Galician beekeepers in their fight against Vespa velutina” and “Typology of beekeeping farms in Atlantic Europe” will be presented at the Congreso Español de Economía Agroalimentaria [Spanish Congress of Agrifood Economics] (Zaragoza, 6th September).
Xulio Maside Rodríguez, Mariam Ferreira Golpe and Ana Isabel García Arias, from the USC team
The Atlantic Positive project
Atlantic Positive was approved in the second call of the Interreg Atlantic Area 2014-2020 territorial cooperation programme, being 75% financed with ERDF funds.
In general terms, the project aims to contribute to the preservation of pollination services through the development of integrated approaches for the control of Vespa velutina and minimize the impact of this invasive species for ecosystems and for the socioeconomic development of the Atlantic Area. This was achieved through creation of protected areas in rural and peri-urban natural environments and the establishment of a transnational cooperation network for the implementation of joint activities.
They were established prevention strategies and an Atlantic Strategic Plan to protect biodiversity and ecosystem services, education and training campaigns were carried out. Finally, the networks created and Atlantic cooperation will be maintained to improve the economy of the beekeeping sector.