Bee action plan due: Last chance for bees

Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss is launching the National Pollinator Strategy to support bees and other pollinators.

The government is launching a new strategy to support bees and other pollinators that are vital for fertilising plants so they produce fruits and seeds.

Organisations such as Network Rail, Highways Agency and the National Trust which manage more than 800,000 hectares of land in England have signed up to the National Pollinator Strategy, and pledged to take actions such as planting more bee-friendly wild flowers and allowing grass to grow longer.

Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss said: "As much as one third of the food we eat is pollinated by bees –from apples and pears to strawberries to beans. We now estimate the value of insects pollinating our crops and plants amounts to hundreds of millions of pounds.

"That’s why we are doing everything we can to help them thrive. Not everyone can become a beekeeper, but everyone from major landowners to window-box gardeners can play their part in boosting pollinators."

Defra is setting up bee hives on the roof of their building in London and supermarkets including Waitrose and Coop have been distributing bee-friendly flower seeds to their customers.

Motorway verges, railway embankments and forests will be used to create bee and insect friendly paradises as part of the major new strategy to protect the 1500 species of pollinators in England.

Defra has also announced the first ever wild pollinator and farm wildlife package, which will see more funding made available to farmers and landowners that take steps to protect pollinators through the new Countryside Stewardship Scheme.

Friends of the Earth says the National Pollinator Strategy (NPS) must be considerably improved from draft versions to address the root causes of bee decline, by providing the right policy framework, support and incentives to ensure that farmers, land owners and developers are supported to reduce pesticide use, protect and create vital bee habitats to provide the food and shelter bees need across the UK.

Friends of the Earth’s Senior Nature Campaigner Paul de Zylva said:

“People around country are doing their bit making their gardens and allotments good for bees – the Government must now do its bit too to transform our farms, housing estates, parks and roadsides into habitat-rich, chemical-free spaces.

“Reversing bee decline for good depends on the Government producing an effective Bee Action Plan that tackles all the threats bees face, especially from pesticides and a lack of habitat on farms and new developments.

“Britain’s hard working bees deserve a first not third-rate Bee Action Plan - it’s time the Government delivered.”

The NPS is the Government’s response to unprecedented demand from the public, businesses, civil society organisations and MPs of all parties to reverse the decline of Britain’s bees. The plight of bees was top of people’s environmental concerns in a recent poll, ahead of climate change.

Today Friends of the Earth campaigners in Westminster will deliver a petition signed by thousands of people to Environment Secretary Liz Truss, which urges her not to delay the NPS further and ensure it contains ambitious action for bees. More than 200,000 actions have been taken to support Friends of the Earth’s Bee Cause campaign, from bee-friendly wildflower planting to calling for pesticide bans and demanding action from MPs, councils and the Government.