New Meliponaries regularization in the State of SP – SIMA RESOLUTION No. 11/21

New Meliponaries regularization in the State of SP – SIMA RESOLUTION No. 11/21

Published on the day 04 February 2021, a SIMA RESOLUTION No. 11, FROM 03 FEBRUARY 2021 creates the category of wild fauna enterprise “Meliponário” and provides for authorization procedures for the use and management of native stingless bees in the State of São Paulo.

What will change from then on with the new Resolution?

Considering CONAMA RESOLUTION No. 496, FROM 19 AUGUST 2020, which disciplines the use and management of stingless bees (ASF) in meliponiculture, the SIMA Resolution 11/2021 institutes, within the limits of the State of São Paulo, the creation of the category of “enterprise for the use and management of wild fauna under human care, called Meliponário aiming to meet the purposes of breeding native stingless bees ” (Article 1). 

With the creation of this category, and also according to Article 1,

“Authorizing procedures for the use and management of native stingless bees in the State of São Paulo involving specimens and colonies for the purposes of socio-cultural activities or exposure aimed at environmental education are established, marketing of products or by-products and pollination services, teaching activity, scientific and conservation research. ” 

What are the new authorization procedures that those interested in creating ASF must perform? 

From the date of its publication, those interested in starting a stingless beekeeping “should register in the Meliponário category and get, through a single, simplified procedure, within the scope of the Integrated Wildlife Management System of the State of São Paulo – WINES, Authorization for Use and Management of Wild Fauna for the species of interest ”.

Registration in the GEFAU system is carried out on the Integrated Environmental Management System (FOLLOW). If you have never accessed the site, it is necessary that a new registration is made from a CPF in order for a login and password to be created.. From there you will have access to the GEFAU system and should access the “Meliponicultor” icon. By clicking on this tab, you will have access to a manual that explains how to fill in the data, as well as the necessary declaration templates. This part may seem a little complicated, but following step by step made available by SIGAM itself it is possible to orient yourself without major inconvenience.

After obtaining authorization through registration in the GEFAU system, it is necessary to include the squad in the form of lots in the same system. It is worth mentioning that the registration must be done individually, considering that each hive is a lot. Each of these batches must have a code (specified in the nest box) to be informed not GEFAU. The squad must be registered by no later than 30 days after the issue of the Use and Management Authorization.

Also according to Resolution, established as activities inherent to the Meliponário category and, therefore, subject to obtaining authorization issued under the GEFAU system:

“I – collection and capture in the wild by means of nest-bait;

 II – rescue of specimens or colonies in the wild in areas of suppression of vegetation or at risk housed in natural or artificial cavities;

III – transfer (including exchange or exchange) specimens or colonies (and its parts) for other Meliponaries duly authorized by the competent environmental agency;

 IV – transfer or loan of specimens or colonies (or its parts) for directed pollination activities or scientific research or in situ conservation projects duly authorized by the competent environmental agency;

V – release in colonies of São Paulo (or its parts) or specimens of the Meliponário breeding stock authorized in the case of an autochthonous species according to the list provided for in §4 of article 3. ”

The legislation also provides that, in cases of transfer of ownership of the(s) meliponário(s) and / or change of address of the location of the(s) same(s), a new registration must be carried out in the system and a new authorization must be issued.

I already have a stingless beekeeping with pre-existing squad, until when I need to register with GEFAU?

In this case, the creators will have until the day 19 August 2021 to register in the GEFAU system and require authorization for Use and Management of Wild Fauna in the Meliponary category. Yet, prior to application, should:

“I – present documentary evidence of the origin of the colonies that make up your initial squad consisting of authorization(ions) in situ management for installation of bait nests or invoice for the acquisition of specimens or colonies in an authorized breeder; 

II – in not having the supporting documentation of origin, mentioned no previous paragraph, must present the Pre-existing Squad Declaration Term, according to Annex I and Annex II, respectively in the case of species of native stingless bees – ANSF indigenous and alien to the State of São Paulo. ”

On the website of Secretariat of Infrastructure and Environment you will find the complete Resolution available for download which has two forms attached: (1) pre-existing species list declaration(s) native(s) autochthonous(s) to the state of são paulo and (2) pre-existing species squad declaration term(s) native(s) allochthonous(s) to the State of São Paulo.