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Investment in bee health research must include Scotland-Rennie
April 21, 2009 3:00 PM
Government proposals to put aside up to £10 million, including £500k for Scotland, to help to identify the main threats to bees and other insect pollinators have been welcomed by MP Willie Rennie who has campaigned for more funding to be invested in Scottish bee health.
Given that honeybees alone are worth £200million a year to the UK's economy, Mr Rennie, whose father and grandfather were both beekeepers, has expressed concern that money which should be going to protect bees is being diluted on other pollinators.
Commenting Mr Rennie said:
"The impact of insects on our rural industries, such as the soft fruit sector, and on plant biodiversity across Scotland cannot be under-estimated. The Government's commitment to spending more money on tackling the outbreak of disease is a welcome relief, but it must to be channelled in the right direction.
"There are over 2,000 species of moths and butterflies and 250 species of bee in Britain so I'm concerned that the honeybee-which is a single species and the most important pollinator-may not get all the funding it needs.
"Crucially the problems facing Scottish beekeepers are unique to this country. Scottish beekeepers, who make up a quarter of the UK's commercial hives are suffering disproportionately from the outbreak of the Varroa mite and need should be a special focus for this funding.
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