LAWS OF SOLOMON ISLANDS

[1996 EDITION]

CHAPTER 173
BEE INDUSTRY

AN ACT TO REGULATE THE BEE INDUSTRY IN SOLOMON ISLANDS

[15th December 1995]

2 of 1994

Short title

1. This Act may be cited as the Bee Industry Act.

Interpretation

2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—

"apiary" means any place where bees or appliances are kept;

"appliance" means any hive, bee-comb, extractor, bee-house or other apparatus being used or intended to be used in connection with bee keeping;

"bee" means any living stages of the honey-bee, Apis mellifera, including semen, and includes every other species of bee, including its eggs, larve, pupae and semen;

"bee product" means any honey, honey-dew, pollen, beeswax, venom, propolis or royal jelly, and includes any other product in its natural state collected from bees or derived from bees;

"disease" means any of the diseases or pests specified by order;

"hive" means artificial structure for the purpose of housing bees;

"infected area" means any land or place declared by order to be an infected and diseased area;

"quarantine area" means any place declared by order to be a place for the detention of diseased or abandoned hives, imported bees, bee products or appliances;

"Minister" means the Minister for the time being charged with responsibility for Agriculture and Lands.

Control of pests and diseases affecting bees

3. (1) The Minister may by regulations published in the Gazette make such provision as he thinks fit for the purpose of preventing the introduction into or spreading within Solomon Islands of pests or disease affecting bees.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), for the purposes therein mentioned any regulation made under this section may—

(a) prohibit or regulate the importation into or movement within Solomon Islands of bees and combs, bee products, hives, containers or other appliances used in connection with keeping or transporting bees, and of any other thing which has or may have been exposed to infection with any pest or disease to which an order applies;

(b) make provision with respect to any of the matters specified in the Schedule to this Act;

(c) make different provision for different cases or different areas; and

(d) make provision for the appointment of inspectors or such other officers as may be necessary for the due administration of this Act.

(3) Any inspector may examine any bees or other things subject to control under any regulation made under this section, and may take samples of them, in order to see if they are free from infection.

(4) Where any bees or other things subject to control under any such regulation are found to be infected, or to have been exposed to infection, with any pest or disease to which the regulation applies, any inspector may destroy them by such means as he thinks fit or cause them to be so destroyed.

(5) Without prejudice to subsection (4), where any bees, bee products or appliances are imported into Solomon Islands in contravention of any regulation under this section, any inspector may destroy them by such means as he thinks fit, or cause them to be destroyed, and may do so with or without first allowing an opportunity for them to be re-exported.

(6) No compensation shall be payable in respect of any exercise of the powers conferred by subsections (4) and (5).

(7) Any person who—

(a) imports any bees, bee products or appliances into Solomon Islands in contravention of any regulation made under this section:

(b) moves any bees or apparatus within Solomon Islands in contravention of such regulation; or

(c) otherwise contravenes or fails to comply with the provisions of any such regulation or with any condition imposed by any licence issued under such regulation,

shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars or to imprisonment up to twelve months.

Powers of entry

4. (1) For the purpose of exercising any powers conferred upon him by this Act or any regulation made thereunder, an inspector may at any time enter—

(a) any premises or other place; or

(b) any vessel, boat, hovercraft, aircraft or vehicle of any other description,

on or in which he has reasonable grounds for suspecting that there are or have been any bees or other things subject to control under any regulation made under this section.

(2) Any inspector seeking to enter any premises or other place, or any vessel, boat, hovercraft, aircraft or other vehicle in exercise of the power of entry under this section, shall, if so required by or on behalf of the owner or occupier or person in charge, produce evidence of his authority before entering.

(3) Any person who intentionally obstructs an inspector acting in exercise of the power of entry under this section shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars or to imprisonment up to six months.

SCHEDULE

Section 3(2)(b)

1. The conditions to be observed before, during and after importation, restrictions on importation.

2. The persons or class of persons that may be permitted to import bees, appliances or bee products.

3. The issue of licences, conditions to which such licences may be subjected to, renewals, variations and revocation of licences.

4. Regulating the keeping of bees in registered apiaries, method of treating bees not kept in registered apiaries, restricting the movement of bees and other things within Solomon Islands.

5. Treatment, control and destruction of diseased bees, bee products and other appliances and recovery of costs.

6. Declaration of infected areas and quarantine areas and recovery of costs incurred in holding bees in quarantine.

7. Regulating the export of bees, honey, bee products and other appliances; prescribing quality and standards.

8. Regulating the type of beeswax for hive frames that may be imported.

9. The sale of bees, bee products or appliances.

10. The functions and duties of officers administering the provisions of this Act or any regulations.

11. Prescribing forms and fees.

12. Securing information with respect to—

(a) persons who keep bees;

(b) the occurrence of any pest or disease to which regulations apply; and

(c) any matter relevant to determine whether any bees or any appliance or bee product subject to control under regulations have been exposed to infection with any pest or disease.

13. Any matter incidental or supplementary to any of the matters mentioned above.

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(No Subsidiary Legislation.)