Summary#
This bill updates how beekeeping decisions are appealed in New Brunswick and makes small wording fixes. Its main goal is to send appeals under the Bee Act to the independent Agriculture Appeal Board, not to the Minister, and to keep urgent bee health orders in effect during an appeal.
- Moves appeals under the Bee Act to the Agriculture Appeal Board (an independent tribunal).
- Lets beekeepers appeal many kinds of decisions, including permits, orders, quarantines, seizures, fines, and inspection costs.
- States that bee-related orders stay in effect while an appeal is underway.
- Names the Provincial Apiarist (the province’s lead bee official) as a party to these appeals.
- Requires that at least half of the Board members hearing a Bee Act appeal be current or former farm producers.
- Updates some language for clarity and inclusiveness and clarifies that Board members’ legal costs are covered by government unless they acted on purpose in a wrongful way.
What it means for you#
- Beekeepers and bee businesses
- You can appeal to the Agriculture Appeal Board if your registration or permit is refused, suspended, or cancelled.
- You can appeal orders, quarantines, removals, or seizures of bees or equipment, as well as administrative penalties (fines) and inspection or treatment costs.
- You must still follow the order while the appeal is decided. The order does not pause just because you appealed.
- Expect the Provincial Apiarist to be part of the appeal. A hearing panel will include people with farming experience.
- Hobbyists who keep bees
- The same appeal rights apply to you. If an inspector issues an order, you can appeal it, but you must comply while the appeal is pending.
- General public and pollination-dependent farms
- Faster action on bee disease control is supported because orders stay in place during appeals.
- Provincial staff and inspectors
- The Agriculture Appeal Board becomes the forum for disputes. The Provincial Apiarist is a formal party in these cases.
- Agriculture Appeal Board members
- Government covers your legal costs for work-related cases, unless there was wilful neglect or wrongdoing.
Expenses#
No publicly available information.
Proponents' View#
- Creates a more independent and fair appeal process by shifting decisions from the Minister to an arm’s-length board.
- Improves bee health and biosecurity by keeping quarantine and treatment orders in force during appeals.
- Clarifies who can appeal and what can be appealed, reducing confusion for beekeepers and officials.
- Brings relevant expertise to hearings by requiring panels to include agricultural producers.
- Aligns language and processes across agriculture laws, making administration simpler.
Opponents' View#
- Keeping orders in effect during appeals could cause financial losses if an order is later overturned.
- Moving appeals to a board may add steps or time compared with a direct Minister review.
- Requiring many producers on panels could raise concerns about perceived bias, either for or against regulators.
- Small operators and hobbyists may still find the appeal process complex or costly to navigate.