Wales to lead UK in tackling bee crisis
Wales will be leading the way in tackling a bee crisis, as Environment Minister John Griffiths announces a new action plan [1] at the Royal Welsh Show today (Monday 23 July). Bees and other pollinating insects are in steep decline, threatening our environment, our economy, and our food. Now government action could mean help and advice for farmers and communities to protect the more than 250 species of bee in the UK. Friends of the Earth Cymru has welcomed the Welsh Government’s announcement of a Pollinator Action Plan. The environment charity’s The Bee Cause campaign [2], launched earlier this year, calls on the Welsh and UK Governments to take action to halt the decline of bees and other essential pollinators. Managed honey bee colonies fell by over 50 per cent between 1985 and 2005. Wild honey bees are nearly extinct in many parts of the UK, and a quarter of wild bee species are considered rare or endangered. Recent research by the University of Reading has revealed it would ...