Hobby beekeeping is now regulated in Quispamsis under a new bylaw passed by council last week.

It is the second time the New Brunswick town has tried to regulate the hobby beekeeping industry.

Council shelved a proposed bylaw last spring after concerns from residents and the local beekeeping community.

After taking those concerns into consideration, town staff returned to council in March with an updated version.

A presentation from two Quispamsis residents in 2021 prompted the town to look into creating a beekeeping bylaw in the first place.

After the initial bylaw changes were brought forward in May 2022, more than a dozen people spoke out against them at a public hearing.

Concerns included the limited number of beehives allowed on each property, the $300 fee to appear before the planning advisory committee, and the need to provide proof of liability insurance.

The new bylaw increases the number of hives allowed from two to four in the Single or Two Family Residential zone (R1) and from four to eight in the Rural (RU) zone.

It also removes the requirement to go before the planning advisory committee for hobby beekeeping in those zones, although a $50 development permit is still required.

Hobby beekeeping in any other zone would still require the planning advisory committee to review the proposal. The town also removed the requirement to have liability insurance.

In addition to laying out property requirements for hobby beekeeping, the proposed bylaw also includes a definition for “nuisance” that enables the town to respond to any complaints going forward.