MANY species of bees are on the brink of extinction in parts of the UK with some types lost entirely, a report has found.
Climate change, habitat loss, pollution and disease are revealed to be threatening the pollinators following research at centres in the east of England.
It concluded that 17 species were regionally extinct – including the Great Yellow Bumblebee, the Potter Flower Bee and the Cliff Mason Bee – with 25 types threatened and another 31 of conservation concern.
Published today, which is World Bee Day, The Bees Under Siege report by WWF and Buglife analysed data recorded for 228 species of bees.
The pollinating services of the insect are worth £690 million per year to the UK economy.
The research centres were in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertforshire, Norfolk and Suffolk – all home to nationally and internationally significant pollinating populations.
The report recommends a number of conservation actions to help stabilise populations of bees and reverse declines, including ensuring that coastal management plans protect coastal habitats and promote the management of sea walls.
The report also called on the upcoming Westminster Environment Act to be “ambitious enough” to develop a nature recovery network for bees.
Tanya Steele, chief executive at WWF, said: “The upcoming Environment Act gives us a golden opportunity to restore our natural world – we need to ensure it’s ambitious enough to do that. We desperately need targeted action if we’re going to bring under-pressure wildlife back from the brink.
It comes as a report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services revealed an alarming loss of biodiversity.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel