[Pollinator] Welsh Government makes a beeline for action plan to help pollinators

[Ladadams at aol.com]

from WalesOnline - You gotta love the  Welsh - Laurie Davies Adams
Welsh Government makes a beeline for action plan to help pollinators
 
    *   by Sally Williams, Western Mail  
    *   _Jul 23  2012_ 
(http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2012/07/23/)  




 
 
 
 
THE Welsh Government is to produce an action plan in a bid to stop the  
30-year-long decline of honey bees. 
Environment Minister John Griffiths will visit the Welsh Bee Keepers’  
Association stand at the Royal Welsh Show today and announce his intention to  
develop a Pollinator Action Plan for Wales. 
He will say the plan is part of the Welsh Government’s efforts to halt the  
decline in populations of honey bees, managed bees and hoverflies – all of 
which  have been in severe decline for the last 30 years. 
Populations of honey bees in Wales and the UK have been savaged by a  
bee-killing mite which is threatening a global catastrophe. The varroa mite not  
only sucks the “blood” of billions of honey bees world wide, it is also  
spreading diseases that are causing colonies to collapse one after another. 
 
  Mr Griffiths said: “We know that 20% of the UK cropped area is made up of 
 pollinator dependent crops; a high portion of wild flowering plants depend 
on  insect pollination for reproduction and the value of pollinators to the 
UK  Government is conservatively estimated to be £430m per annum. This 
makes  pollination a vitally important eco system service.

“However despite their importance, pollinator populations have been on the  
decline for the last 30 years and we know that if we don’t take prompt 
action,  this trend will continue. That is why I am considering how we might 
slow and  reverse the decline in pollinator numbers. Wales will be leading the 
way.” 
He said the action plan will be developed in partnership with key agencies  
and is likely to include changes to the planning system that will help make 
 development “pollinator friendly”; more pollinator-friendly planting 
across  railway embankments and road verges; joint working with local 
authorities on the  management of parks and other public green spaces; encouraging 
nurseries to sell  pollinator-friendly plants and provide advice to consumers; 
building an evidence  base on the impact of pesticides through joint working 
with the National Botanic  Garden of Wales; and close working with the 
Welsh Bee Keepers’ Association and  other voluntary groups. 
He said the work will be undertaken in line with the principles set out in  
the Welsh Government’s Sustaining a Living Wales programme and will take a 
whole  ecosystem approach. 
Friends of the Earth Cymru campaigner Bleddyn Lake said: “We’re delighted 
the  minister has acted so quickly to help protect bees and other 
pollinators, which  are in steep decline throughout the UK. 
“Thousands of people have already backed our campaign, The Bee Cause, which 
 calls for action on habitat loss and pesticide-use. Farmers, councils and  
communities need help and advice to protect these essential pollinators – 
one  third of our food wouldn’t be available at all without them.” 







Read More  
_http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2012/07/23/welsh-government-makes-a-beeline-for-action-plan-to-help-pollinators-91466-31450871/
#ixzz21YD3L9py_ 
(http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2012/07/23/welsh-government-makes-a-beeline-for-action-plan-to-help-pollinators-91466-3145
0871/#ixzz21YD3L9py) 
 
Laurie Davies  Adams
Executive Director
Pollinator Partnership
423 Washington St.  5th Fl.
San Francisco, CA 94111
T: 415.362.1137
F: 415.362.0176

Follow up on _Twitter_ (http://twitter.com/#!/Pollinators)  and _Facebook_ 
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