Action plan for bees
The Welsh Government is to develop an action plan to protect declining bee numbers and other pollinators, in light of the dramatic drop in bee populations.
The announcement follows the launch of The Bee Cause, a campaign by Friends of the Earth which called upon the Welsh and UK Governments to develop action plans to protect bee species in the UK.
Earlier this year, research by the University of Reading revealed that it would cost at least £1.8 billion a year to pollinate crops by hand to replace the free service provided by bees, which may well be the only option if bee numbers continue to fall.
Managed honey bee colonies fell over 50 per cent between 1985 and 2005, and solitary bees have declined by more than half in the areas studied.
Andrew Pendleton, from Friends of the Earth, said: “Our bees are declining fast and urgently need protecting - without them the UK would have to spend millions of pounds hand-pollinating many of our favourite fruit and vegetables."
The Welsh Government's decision has come as welcome news. Campaigner Bleddyn Lake said: “We’re delighted John Griffiths, Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development, has acted so quickly on our call to help protect bees and other pollinators, which are in steep decline throughout the country."
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
