Bee study prompts call to ban nicotine pesticides
DEMANDS FOR a permanent ban on nicotine-based pesticides have been prompted by a major new study which suggests that they can be harmful to bees.
The £2.7m investigation in three European countries, which spanned the equivalent of 3,000 football pitches, gave the first real-world evidence that vulnerable honeybee colonies suffer from exposure to the chemicals.
It also indicated that – like many of the British human population – honeybees in the UK suffer from bad diet and ill-health.
Researchers found the pesticides, known as neonicotinoids, had country-specific effects.
While they reduced the survival of honeybees in the UK and Hungary, the chemicals caused no harm to the insects’ counterparts in Germany. There were even signs that use of the insecticides temporarily benefited German honeybee populations.
Professor Richard Pywell, a leading member of the UK team from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), said: “Variation among countries was found and this suggests that the effects of neonicotinoids are influenced by other factors, such as what the bees are feeding on in the landscape, and disease.”
Neonicotinoids are coated on seeds to be incorporated into growing plants and are banned in Europe for mass-flowering crops because previous research had suggested that they might harmful to pollinators.
A decision on whether or not to continue or extend the moratorium is expected this autumn.
Environment groups said Britain should back a permanent and all-encompassing ban in light of the new findings, which were published in the journal Science.
Friends of the Earth nature campaigner Sandra Bell said: “This crucial study confirms that neonicotinoid pesticides come with a nasty sting in the tail for our under-pressure bees. It’s time for a complete and permanent ban on these chemicals.
“The UK Government must stop asking for yet more evidence and back tough action on these dangerous chemicals to protect our precious pollinators.”
And Doug Parr, UK chief scientist at Greenpeace, said: “This major study marks a watershed moment in the fight to protect our bees. The case for a permanent ban on these pesticides is now unassailable, and our politicians will have to take action.”
The Environment Department (Defra) said the Government based all its decisions on pesticides on scientific evidence.
A spokeswoman added: “Bees and other pollinators are vital to the diversity of our environment and food production which is why we are leading a nationwide strategy to better protect them.
“We are encouraging farmers to provide the food and habitats pollinators need on their land, as well as promoting simple actions the public can take to help such as cutting grass less often and growing pollen-rich plants.”