UK call to tackle insects’ decline

Concerted action is needed to tackle declines in wild bees and other pollinating insects, according to campaigners in the UK.

TV presenter Bill Oddie and invertebrate charity Buglife’s president Germaine Greer launched the “get Britain buzzing” campaign to raise public awareness and put pressure on politicians to save pollinators. Buglife said that 90 per cent of UK crops are pollinated by wild insects, and that we rely on pollinators for around one in every three mouthfuls of food we eat.

But the abundance of bumblebees, hoverflies, butterflies and moths are declining and urgent action is needed to stop a downward spiral that would damage the UK’s countryside.

Mr Oddie, who is the campaign’s ambassador, said: “Bugs, creepy crawlies, mini-beasts, in other words pollinating insects, are the most wonderful and beneficial wildlife in our world.

“We ignore, deride, denigrate or destroy them at our peril. We need to learn to love them and value them. They deserve it.”

Matt Shardlow, chief executive officer of Buglife, said people were aware of the problems facing bees, but it was not enough just to take steps to save honeybees, as wild pollinators were a “long-term, more sustainable resource” which played a major part in producing food.

“We depend on them for food and for wildflowers in the countryside, and their decline has impacts on food production and loss of wildflowers,” he said.

While there were many reasons insects were declining, major factors included the loss of wildflowers which they rely on for food and habitat where they can nest, and there were concerns that species were being hit by new pesticides, he said.

The charity’s campaign is urging people to take steps such as planting wildflowers in their gardens and encouraging their local councils to manage road verges and parks for wildflowers, rather than cutting the grass all the time.

Buglife also wants people to put pressure on politicians to support wildlife conservation initiatives and pursue policies that protect insects and is also calling for support from the public in its work to restore wild habitats. Schemes include planting “bee lines”, putting field-sized strips of wildflower meadows back into the countryside.