Concerns about bee populations being in decline have been in place for a while now, with research being conducted into why the populations of bees are being reduced so dramatically, and how we can act to turn this around.Yesterday however, Friends of the Earth campaigners being the Bee Cause campaign delivered their message about the role of bees in the economy direct to Whitehall advisors.
It is estimated that if the important role bees carry out in pollinating could cost a minimum of 1.8 billion pounds if populations dropped and manual pollination had to be implemented, therefore delivering a considerable hit to the UK economy.
The message was delivered to economic advisors by giant bees with an invoice for the annual cost the Government would have to build into their budgets if protection measures are not put into place to maintain their populations. Friends of the Earth are calling on the Government to implement a British Bee Action Plan to protect the natural pollinators in the UK before it’s too late. Paul de Zylva, Nature Campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said,
“Unless urgent action is taken to tackle the decline in bee populations, farmers and consumers will be left to pick up an enormous bill.”
The Bee Cause campaign isn’t the only call on the Government to awaken to action; a committee of MPs this week criticised the Government’s failure to identify how their commitment to deliver policy that supports crucial natural systems like pollination in mind.
Other items you might find of interest:
- Something To Buzz About: £10m Government Funding For Bee Research
- Friends Of The Earth Launch Campaign Urging Councils To Get Serious About CO2
- Omlet’s Beehaus Could Be The Answer To Declining Bee Populations
Tags: Bee Cause, bees, campaign, crops, FOE, friends of the earth, pollination, Whitehall