The number of honeybees on the southernmost island of Jeju is declining, due largely to climate change.

According to Jeju Province on Thursday, the number of beehives at farms on the island gradually decreased from 80-thousand-803 in 2020 to 78-thousand-767 in 2021, 71-thousand-927 in 2022, 63-thousand-142 in 2023 and 56-thousand-678 in 2024.

The on-year decline accelerated from two-point-five percent in 2021 to eleven percent in 2022, 21-point-nine percent in 2023 and 29-point-nine percent in 2024.

Jeju officials attributed the decline to lower levels of honey production, the result of inconsistent blooming periods for plants due to climate change, as well as rising production costs stemming from increases in the price of queen bees.

The Jeju government also found that fewer Korean beef cattle and other beef cattle were bred last year.

The figures were down one-point-three percent on-year to 38-thousand-978 for Korean beef cattle and down 25-point-six percent to 801 for other beef cattle.