[Pollinator] European Parliament votes to protect bees

[Matthew Shepherd (Xerces Society)]

The resolution passed by the European Parliament yesterday could have some impact. Since it is a directive, the European Union member countries automatically ratify the resolution and are required to adopt it, but it's left up to them to decide how to do it. Mind you, it has been passed under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The CAP is the European equivalent of the U.S. Farm Bill, so offers an existing framework of farm-support subsidies, conservation programs, and so on, and might actually result in change on the ground.

And that annoying "Einstein quote" has reared it's ugly and inaccurate head again.

Matthew

MEP = Member of European Parliament

>From Financial Times
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6484fcac-b7bd-11dd-ac6d-0000779fd18c,dwp_uuid=70662e7c-3027-11da-ba9f-00000e2511c8.html?nclick_check=1
Published: November 21 2008 14:18 | Last updated: November 21 2008 14:18

European vote to take sting out of falling bee numbers
By Helen Warrell 

MEPs voted on Thursday overwhelmingly in favour of providing ’recovery zones’ in European farmland to help rebuild the region’s declining bee population.

The resolution, which was passed by 485 votes to 13, follows fears that European food production could be threatened if there were fewer bees to pollinate crops of fruit and vegetables. So far this year German bee populations have dropped by a quarter and British beekeepers are expected to lose up to ten per cent of their hives this winter alone. 

The population has been endangered by long distance transportation of bees between countries as well as increased use of pesticides, which can weaken the insects’ immune systems. The development of genetically-modified crops and the spread of fungal infections and viruses have also contributed to the decline.

MEPs hope their directive – set up under the Common Agricultural Policy – will spur the EU executive to help to set up patches of farmland planted with pollen and nectar-rich plants to act as ’recovery zones’ for ailing insects. It would also fund research into the parasites and diseases which are harming bee populations, provide financial aid to apiaries with infected colonies, and combat ineffective pollination by banning pesticide treatment while crops are in flower.

Struan Stevenson, the Scottish Conservative MEP said: ”Albert Einstein wasn’t lying when he said that if bees disappeared from the world then mankind would follow shortly after.”

”We must invest more into bee research to establish the exact causes of the shrinking bee population so that we can urgently put measures in place to combat the decline.”

______________________________________________________
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
The Xerces Society is an international nonprofit organization that 
protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their 
habitat. To join the Society, make a contribution, or read about our 
work, please visit www.xerces.org.

Matthew Shepherd
Senior Conservation Associate
4828 SE Hawthorne Boulevard, Portland, OR 97215, USA
Tel: 503-232 6639 Cell: 503-807 1577 Fax: 503-233 6794
Email: mdshepherd at xerces.org 
______________________________________________________

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.sonic.net/pipermail/pollinator/attachments/20081121/04b4b5e5/attachment.html>