MSP Rona Mackay has called on constituents to get behind new measures to save Scotland’s bees and butterflies.
The Strathkelvin and Bearsden MSP has expressed deep concerns at the plummeting pollinator populations in Scotland.
Since 1980, 51 per cent of Scotland’s bee and butterfly population has died out leading to fears of major problems in the environment, agriculture, economy and health and well-being of the public.
The Scottish Government has published the Pollinator Strategy that outlines objectives and outcomes to put in place measures by 2027 to ensure Scotland’s bee population is thriving and supported.
The objectives are:
To make Scotland more pollinator-friendly, halting and reversing the decline in native pollinator populations.
To improve our understanding of pollinators and their pollination service.
To manage the commercial use of pollinators to benefit native pollinators.
To raise awareness and encourage action across sectors.
To monitor and evaluate whether pollinators are thriving.
A full list of how these objectives will be achieved is available in the Pollinator Strategy.
Ms Mackay said: “Our pollinating species are disappearing globally at an alarming rate, so this Pollinator Strategy from the SNP government is absolutely necessary.
“As a country, we have amazing biodiversity, but still our use of land, pesticides, pollution, disease and climate change in general is causing this distressing decline in bee and butterfly populations.
“Many of the foods we eat on our dinner table have been put there due to the role of butterflies and bees pollinating many of the fruit and vegetables we eat, or indeed pollinating the food that animals we then consume.
“It is estimated in the UK alone, one third of food is pollination dependent, 70 types of crop rely on pollinators, 6,000 tonnes of honey are produced by bees and on the whole, £400 million to the economy is made off of our bees and pollinators.
“I am asking my constituents to take heed of the plans the Scottish Government has published, because I know many across the constituency are already creating amazing habitats for pollinators. For the public, it’s as simple as growing flowers in the garden, and there is a whole host of information online on what we can do to help.”
ENDS
Notes
Pollinator Strategy: https://news.gov.scot/resources/pollinator-strategy
Scottish Government press release: https://news.gov.scot/news/boost-for-bees-and-butterflies
Scottish Government honey bee laws: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/farmingrural/Agriculture/animal-welfare/bee
Sources on bee data: http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zg4dwmn